


Quiet

by WisdomOfSpace



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Abuse (non-graphic), All of these kids need a hug, Character Study, F/F, I stg that this will have a happy ending and no one will die, Maybe - Freeform, Multiple chapters, PTSD, People not liking Rangers is a thing, TW: slight gore, Trini (as Yellow) kicking Zack (as Black) in the dick is a meme, Trini needs a hug, good things will happen i promise, not as dark as it sounds?, realistic look at PTSD from someone with PTSD, social media is a thing, this turned out much shippier than anticipated, tw: abuse, tw: anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-04-23 23:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19161121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WisdomOfSpace/pseuds/WisdomOfSpace
Summary: Trini is quiet. She’s comfortable falling to the back of the group and watching. Seeing Zack tease Jason, seeing the grin Jason hides behind his hand as he fakes a heavy sigh, and seeing Billy’s eyes light up as he explains the new discoveries he’s made with Alpha. Trini is quiet but she isn’t unobservant. She sees the way Kimberly lights up when Trini enters the Pit, she sees the way Kimberly’s eyes linger on her, the way her grins soften with an emotion Trini is scared to name.(Less shippy then the summary shows, more of a character study)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Written by Cosmos (Beta'd by Wisdom)  
> Please leave a review if you enjoyed or a critique if you did not :)

 

     Trini is quiet. Not just verbally, as her mother is quick to point out, but physically as well. Her steps fall quietly against the squeaky linoleum of the school hallways, Zack and Jason are the easiest to scare (not that she’s trying) and the former teasingly calls her a ghost to distract from his high pitched shrieks. It makes sense when she’s given the daggers by Zordon, or rather from Alpha at the instructions of Zordon, a weapon meant for stealth and subterfuge. The boys don’t like to fight against her during weapons training, the cuts take longer to heal than bruises, but Kimberly is always willing. It’s unnerving, Trini thinks, that Kimberly seems hyperaware of her. The one ranger Trini is unable to sneak up on is her- and Billy, but that’s because she telegraphs her location so he knows where she is- and often turns to greet her with a blinding grin. It’s unnerving how in combat Kimberly can unthinkingly block her strikes because she knows just where Trini is. It’s unnerving, Trini thinks, but also comforting. It’s comforting how no matter where she’s hiding, be it in the back of a crowded house in the middle of a far too loud party or in the ship after a particularly vicious argument with her parents, Kimberly can find her and will drag her into something. It’s comforting for Trini to know that someone is aware of her even with the silence.

  
      Trini is quiet. She’s comfortable falling to the back of the group and watching. Seeing Zack tease Jason, seeing the grin Jason hides behind his hand as he fakes a heavy sigh, and seeing Billy’s eyes light up as he explains the new discoveries he’s made with Alpha (not that any of them really understand but…they try). What’s less comforting is when Kimberly falls beside her. Trini shoots her a look, almost a glare but the softness in it betrays the annoyance she forces through, and Kim just smiles. She talks, about how the human biology assignment is bullshit for them and how Jason’s sister should be a ranger on account of how much cooler than him she is (it’s a surprisingly well thought out case that falls apart when she brings up Jason’s dislike of chocolate ice cream being a point against him). There’s no expectation for Trini to respond, Kimberly doesn’t push or ask questions. A warm feeling builds in her chest and bubbles up, pushing its way out of her. She grins at Kim. Trini’s brow furrows slightly in confusion, Kimberly’s clumsiness seems to have come back with a vengeance as she’s ended up on the ground. Trini almost offers a hand, she does try to help, but the pout on Kim’s face as she stares up at Trini with a stubborn leaf clinging to her hair is too much. She laughs.

  
      Trini is quiet. The food on the plate isn’t appetizing despite the hunger that gnaws at her stomach, Alpha’s energy bars can only do so much, but pushing it around is all she can bring herself to do. Staring at the food is better than seeing the disappointment crease her father’s face as he bites back yet another heavy sigh and the anger pinching the skin around her mother’s eyes as she scowls at Trini. It’s hard to breathe, it always is around the suffocating weight of her parents expectations, but it builds as her mother spits out something. It builds as the food on the table is ignored in favour of her father using it to lean over Trini, the hard shadows on his face seeming that much darker even if she knows that he can’t hurt her. It builds as curses fly, both English and Spanish mixing as her mother’s anger grows so large that one language can’t contain it. It _bursts_ as Trini yells back, voice so loud that it seems to shake the house, it bursts as she lets everything that she wants to say out. If asked later she won’t even remember what she said. What she will remember is the look on her mother’s face, the open-mouthed look of surprise that crumples as rage turns her mouth down and she sneers out words that are dripping with malice. It’s the slur that hits Trini harder than her mother’s hand ever could. The door to the house is closed before her mother even realizes the pain in her hand is from the bones breaking against Trini’s jaw.

  
      Trini isn’t quiet. Her feet pound against the concrete as she moves faster than any human could ever hope to be, her breathing is ragged and every breath that wrenches itself from her chest comes with pain. Her cheek doesn’t hurt, her fingers trace over the skin where her mother hit her (she ignores the trembling of her fingers) and there isn’t any pain but there must be because there is something warm staining her fingers. For a moment she thinks it’s blood, for a moment she’s back in her room with Rita hanging over her and she can’t breathe as she feels the steel tipped fingers dig into her skin oh so easily. Then she’s back in the dark of the quarry, the only sound are her ragged breaths filling the silence, and it isn’t blood on her fingers but tears. It’s a quiet confusion that fills her chest at the sight, why would she be crying? And then she realizes, it’s the end. Not any great end like with Billy’s death, but a quieter one. Trini hasn’t felt safe in her home in a long time, Rita only increased the feeling and gave her a way to excuse her sleepless nights spent at Zack’s house. Her nightmares featured her parents as often they did Rita and that’s a painful truth but one Trini knows. She isn’t a liar, not to herself, and she knows that her home isn’t truly home. Her home is with the other rangers. With Billy, the sweetest person she’s ever met and so _so_ in love with the science behind what they are. With Jason, who can be overbearing at times and expects far too much from himself but is always trying to support his team. With Zack, annoying and knowing Zack, who’s as much of a brother to Trini as Diego and Jackson are. With Kimberly, wild and impulsive Kimberly who can talk herself _into_ trouble with a grin on her face. Her home is with them not with the so-called family who won’t even accept her.

  
      Trini is quiet. Not even the ship is quieter than her as it thrums lowly with the sounds of machinery and technology running and shifting. Alpha is loud, far louder than he has any right to be so late at night, but he fills the silence between Trini and him with inane chatter about his new fascinating bauble Billy gave him as he leads her to a personal bunker. Apparently the ship has one for each ranger. The room is depressingly blank, no pictures or even paint on the cold metal walls. There are clothes, in her size too, that fill the closet; which is good because in her rush to leave her parents she’d forgotten to grab anything. Alpha leaves and it’s quiet after the door slides shut in a low whirr. Trini may be quiet but she loathes silence. She hates how the stillness of the air can be felt and how the sick laughter in her ears tries its best to overwhelm her with memories. Every blink brings back the faces of her parents and the words her mother spit at her.

  
   _“No daughter of mine is a dyke!”_

  
      The memories, the _pain_ , chokes her and it takes everything Trini has to not fall back onto the bed and give in to the blackness edging her vision brought on by her choked breathing. If she does, she’ll be lost to her nightmares. To whatever horrors her mind dreams up with Rita this time. Her phone is in her hand and she’s confused again, but the screen lights up with a message. It’s from Kimberly. Her fingers hover over the keyboard as she debates responding, this bond, the ranger bond, is new and growing. Sometimes they get emotions, flashes of what the others are feeling, and Trini can only wonder what it is the Kimberly felt. Her anger, depression, fear, or panic? She clicks the phone off. She doesn’t want to talk, there will be time for that later. Right now, Trini just wants to rest. But first…

  
      It only takes a moment for Alpha to come to the room when she calls for him, his little face doing the best approximation of confusion as it can, and it quickly turned into happiness when he heard her request. Soon there’s a picture on the bedside table, one of the team after Rita. They had blood and dirt on them but the wide grins fulled by adrenaline and hysteria are brilliant. Kimberly had her arm thrown around Trini, laughing at the pout on Zack’s face as Jason ducked his hug and Billy stood in front, _alive_ , with a smile on his face as he snapped the picture. It’s the happiest she’d been in a while, surrounded by her friends and on a victory high that removed the pain from the bruises she’d had. It’s a reminder of what she has and it’s with this memory in mind that she falls asleep.

     She wakes with an arm around her waist and a chin pressed into the top of her head. It should be embarrassing how quickly she realizes its Kimberly but she’s spent far too many nights waking up in the same position for it to be a surprise. She must have tensed or moved or something because Kimberly shifts and speaks.

     “You awake?”

     Trini’s mouth opens but nothing comes out, words that she wants to say fighting to come out but silence is the only thing that comes. The first time this happened was the first time her mother yelled at her, the fear and anger that curled in Trini’s gut seemed to rob her of her words as they filled her brain with the cloying feeling of terror. The second was when her father accused her of being gay, not that he was wrong, but the angry disappointment that made him look so much older than he was made her throat clench with fear of the truth betraying her and ruining his view of her. The third was with Rita, when Trini forced the words out with physical pain as Rita’s eyes danced in delight at the torment she was causing. And now, she can’t speak because the thoughts in her head are moving too fast for her to verbalize and it’s all just _too much_. So she says nothing and just nods.

     “Are you okay?”

     The concern in Kimberly’s voice almost prompts a fresh wave of tears to come from Trini, it’s been so long since she had anyone concerned for her. Her parents were only concerned with how she made them look, not caring how their expectations caused Trini stress. She’s not okay, she knows that, she hasn’t been okay in a long time and now she has PTSD on top of whatever other issues she had. She’s so far from okay that it’s almost funny. But right now? Right now, with Kimberly’s warmth at her back and the quiet understanding that’s beneath her words, Trini thinks she could be. She nods.

  
      Trini doesn’t know how long they stay like that but it’s long enough that she can hear the boy's voices echo off the walls of the Pit and she shifts. Kimberly leaves at Trini’s prodding, throwing back a concerned glance when she thinks Trini isn’t watching. Trini changes into the grey jeans that fill one of the closet draws, ripped in the style of one of her favourite pairs. Alpha must be cataloging what they wear to make these, it's sweet if a tad unsettling. The shirts are all yellow and it pulls a low chuckle from her as she lifts one of the hoodies over her head, the team wears their colours enough they really don’t need access to a way to make more.

  
      Trini is quiet but she isn’t unobservant. She sees the way Kimberly lights up when Trini enters the Pit, she sees the way Kimberly’s eyes linger on her, the way her grins soften with an emotion Trini is scared to name. She observes these and she knows what they mean but she doesn’t acknowledge them, playing the oblivious fool she’s had so much practice doing to avoid causing trouble with her family. She shoots Kimberly a grin just as Zack tries to tackle her with a hug, eating the ground as Trini ducks his arms. The laughter echos off the walls as Billy rushes over to see if he’s okay while Jason shakes his head at Trini fondly. Trini is scared to acknowledge the feeling behind her own smile as Kimberly laughs at the mud on Zack’s face. Trini’s scared, but she won’t lie to herself. She knows that she’ll have to acknowledge the thing building between the two of them, but for now she’s content to just spend time with her _family_.


	2. Chapter 2

     Trini loves being a Ranger, she enjoys training, she likes her teammates, and she loves the adrenaline that rushes through her veins as she ducks under a Putty’s fist, dragging her daggers along its stomach. She turns to face another as it drops only to see her team finishing up the others. Jason’s mask slides over his face as he heaves a breath, his sword and shield disappearing in a flash of red.

      “Okay, training’s over. Good job everyone.” His stoicism fades along side his armor and, by the time he’s clad in nothing but his spare jeans and shirt, a grin is on his face, his eyes sparkling with the fact we’re no longer training for a fight that we don’t know if we’ll win. “Pearl has been botherin’ me, I think if she finds out we had Ranger Night at someone else’s she’d never forgive me. Who’s in?”

     Billy sits on one of the many rocks around the Pit, messing with his phone but looking up occasionally to show he’s still paying attention. Kim rests beside Trini, laid out across a rock and she stretches lazily with the grace of a cat. Zack is the first to respond, sliding over to Jason and throwing an arm around his shoulders with an easy grin.

     “I’d never pass up a chance to hang out with your sis!” He pauses. “Oh, and you too, I guess.”

     Jason’s grin doesn’t leave his face as he- not so subtly- elbows Zack in the stomach. Trini ignores Zack groaning on the ground as she stands with a stretch, Kim follows her as she moves towards the waterproof bag with their phones in it. Trini doesn’t know why she keeps checking it, the only people who’d message her are in the Pit with her, but as she does it lights up with another new message from her parents. Her father this time. She’s blocked their numbers, after sending a message saying she was fine and had a place to stay, but they must be buying new numbers or cheap phones to send messages. She remembers why she checked her phone now, right about this time the worry would be creeping back in. All the stress that drained away during training would be back with a vengeance as she scrolled through her mother’s multitude of messages. The screen turns black as she slides it back into the bag and turns to Kimberly with a shrug.

     “I’m game if you are.”

     Kimberly bounces on the balls of her feet, turning to Jason with a grin that has him shuffling uneasily. Trini snickers, knowing if that same grin was turned on her she’d be acting the same.

     “Do you have cookie dough?” Jason’s wary nod turns into a laugh as Kimberly lets out a whoop. “Thank god! We should also stop by Krispy Kreme, make this a whole thing.”

     “Oh please, you just want donuts.” Zack scoffs as he drags himself over to the ground next to Billy. “I have some tāngyuán left over from Chinese New Year, more than enough for all of us even with our appetites, and it’s free.”

     Trini perks up at the mention of the desserts, Zack showed her how to make them when she was over at his house earlier in the year and apart from some mishaps with the flour- Trini still has the photo of him scowling with it in his hair and sticky rice on his face- it was amazing. If she wasn’t completely sold earlier she is now. Billy smiles too as he looks down at Zack, his foot bouncing eagerly.

     “Can I go with you to pick up the tāngyuán? I enjoy speaking to your mother!

     It’s been Billy’s personal goal to learn Mandarin, Ms. Taylor does speak English but Zack made a comment about how she misses speaking to others in the language and Billy jumped on it. He’s been trying to convince the others to learn it; which isn’t a bad point, Trini muses, it would be good for us to have a language to communicate in without others knowing. Or well, it would be but Rita spoke English and she was an alien. Maybe there’s an alien version of Rosetta Stone out there. Trini chuckles at the thought of aliens bent over a computer angrily trying to repeat English phrases while yelling at each other about the language’s complete bullshit structure. Her attention turns back to the group, Kimberly is ~~yelling~~ calmly debating movie choices with Jason.

     “We can’t watch ‘ _Deadpool_ ’ Kimberly; my sister is twelve!” Kimberly’s mouth opens as an impish look enters her eyes, but she’s cut off as Jason growls at her, “And I would like to pretend my baby sister hasn’t even _heard_ of anything rated higher than G!”

    The entire group laughs at Jason, Billy aside as he types something out on his phone, and Jason glowers at the group. It’s a fond sort of camaraderie that Trini absolutely adores and it used to make her sad, almost melancholic over something she hadn’t yet lost, as the thought that it would all fall apart once Rita was gone was an all too prevalent fear. It seems an outrageous thought now, as Zack stumbles over to her and slings an arm around her shoulder while shouting out his suggestion of ‘ _Human Centipede_ ’, much to the horror of Jason, but still the thought lingers at times. Usually only appearing when Rita visits her thoughts, or worse, her parents. Both mock her, but one cuts deeper than the other. It hasn’t even been a day since she left home, almost but not quite, and she can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen. This is her last year of high school, already paid for, but what about the town? It isn’t small enough that Trini will see them every day but it isn’t large enough for her fear of running into her parents, with their disappointment and anger pushed onto her as if it’s her fault she doesn’t meet their fucked up expectations, to be nothing more than an irrational thought.

     Zack’s grip on her shoulder tightens slightly, pulling Trini from her thoughts and she looks up at him. He isn’t looking at her but the worried crease at the corner of his eye says it all. He saw her spiraling and pulled her out of it, without a question, it’s at times like these that Trini is unimaginably grateful for him. She turns back to the group, the argument about movies winding down as Billy jumps in, a list of possible movies they could watch categorized by reviews (all rated G, of course) and the fondness in Jason’s eyes is almost painful to watch as a soft smile spreads across his face. He turns towards the group and rushes them towards the exit, towards the second worst part of coming to the ship for Trini.

     You’d think Billy would be afraid of the water, seeing as it’s what he died in, but he isn’t. It’s uncomfortable, he said once asked, but I spent so much time enjoying it that to let one bad experience spoil it would be..irrational. Maybe the reason it bothers Trini so much is because she never loved it, she never enjoyed the pressure that surrounds her as she dives into the water, never enjoyed the feeling of suffocation from forcing herself to stop breathing. Maybe that’s the reason Rita was able to ruin water for her so easily, turning water from an occasionally fun thing into a signal of danger. Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that the shiver wracking her body isn’t entirely from the late afternoon breeze brushing against her wet skin. The feeling of being watched crawls across Trini’s skin and it almost _itches_ , the sense that she’s being watched is insistent and false. But if Trini doesn’t check, doesn’t search to see if it really is false, it will only grow into nervous energy that has her jumping at shadows and seeing flashes of green out of the corner of her eyes.

* * *

  
      Jason’s dad isn’t home when the Rangers reach it and all of them notice the corners of Jason’s eyes tighten as a grimace flashes across his face, before it’s gone in a second. Trini hasn’t told the group about what happened, not even Kimberly beyond whatever she inferred from the new living quarters, and she’s glad she didn’t. They have their own troubles, they don’t need to be worrying about an issue that’s no longer much of one.

     Mrs. Scott is a nice woman, smaller than most (okay, smaller than _Trini_ ), but the woman makes up for it in sheer presence. She bustles around the small house and Jason follows, offering a helping hand whenever needed be it by reaching for something off of a shelf of dicing fruit for a fruit salad, and it’s the sort of home Trini wishes she had. And then Mrs. Scott walks over to her and Zack, tsk’ing as she brushes a small bit of dirt off of his jacket as she asks if they were hiking or if they were wrestling pigs. Kimberly makes a jab about no one wanting to wrestle Zack and the look of pure _outrage_ on his face sets them all off laughing. Billy claims the seat he always takes at Jason’s house and chats with Pearl about school, they discuss the latest science project she’s been assigned, something about physics and energy. He offers to help her, tentatively as if he thinks she’ll reject; but when she jumps on it eagerly and brings her work towards him, careful not to crowd him, the smile on his face is bright and sweet in a way Trini has never managed to have. Cynicism hit her young and even her lightest laugh carries the tinge of fear with it, the fear of what horrors the world will bring for her having a moment of happiness.

     Kimberly plops down beside Trini, slinging an arm around her as a bowl of popcorn is sat on the coffee table in front of them. She has a remote in her hands and for a moment Trini is afraid of what Kimberly will put on, remembering her earlier suggestions, before she flicks to a cartoon Trini vaguely remembers hearing about. It’s only a few minutes into the first episode before she’s chuckling at the parallels. Two teenagers that are forced to hide their identities as superheroes as they run around in coloured uniforms saving people, its uncannily familiar and the smirk of Kimberly’s face says she’s all too aware of it. The weight of Kim’s arm on her shoulder is comforting in its warmth and Trini sinks into her side, content in ignoring the smirk Zack sends her way. Kimberly is touchy, it isn’t a hard thing to learn about her if you spend more than five minutes with the girl, but the thing is…the thing is, Trini isn’t used to that. She’s used to cold pats on the shoulder and the occasional awkward hug when her parents congratulate her on an A— something she had to maintain if she wanted what little space from them she was able to get. Her brothers are getting to the age where they don’t want to be hugged or seen with their older sister because it ‘isn’t cool’ and when they were younger it was her who would comfort them. When they came to her open bedroom door, after her parents had slammed their own shut and faint whispers could be heard behind the door, with red-rimmed eyes and blankets clutched in their hands, she was the one who held them and told them everything was alright. It’s nice for it to be the other way around, and the warm feeling that persists in Trini’s stomach whenever Kimberly is around only grows.

     It’s late. Trini knows that, but something is wrong. The air is heavy, laden with salt and something coppery and it is _wrong_. She can’t move. She strains and pulls but the hand around her throat just won’t budge, the press of a body against hers that was comforting earlier is now suffocating.

     “ _Open your eyes, Yellow._ ”

     That voice, the sneer and the water dripping onto her face. It’s all too familiar. Her eyes open, not of their own volition but she knows what happens if she doesn’t listen to Rita. The woman in front of her is covered in water and blood. The bodies behind Rita are piled up and their eyes stare into Trini’s own, accusing. Billy’s body is charred, electricity having ravaged his body and it’s now that she notices another smell mixed in the the salt and blood. The smell of burnt flesh. Jason and Zack’s bodies are mangled beyond recognition, the putties standing on either side of the bodies have blood dripping off their arms, and she knows that every bone in the boy's bodies has been _crushed_. There’s one person who’s missing. Kimberly. Then she sees her. A flash of pink fighting off waves of putties but there’s one creeping up behind her and Trini can’t yell! She can’t _warn her!_

     “ _Come, Little Yellow, you’ve done good._ “

     And Trini turns, she tries to fight but her body just won’t listen. She turns and she walks away. The sounds of Kim screaming, pleading for Trini to come back are overwhelming but Trini’s body won’t listen as it does what it knows best. It runs away.

     She wakes up feeling cold. That’s not the first thing she notices but for some reason it seems to be the most important as her mind latches onto the feeling, or rather the lack of, in her body and she moves her hands just to prove she can. They’re shaking. She realizes, rather distantly, that she’s having a panic attack. Her chest hurts and she can’t breathe, all she can smell, can _taste_ , is saltwater and blood. And then Kim is in front of her, kneeling down, with furrowed brows and a mouth moving without sound. Her hands feel warm. Oh, Kimberly is holding them and the yellow metal that had begun spreading over her knuckles fades.

     “Breathe with me.”

     Trini is trying but she can’t, her feelings, her _terror_ , is crawling around her throat and its _choking_ her. There’s other people moving, their faces blur together and all Trini can think is that it’s all too much. She can’t focus, can’t remember she’s supposed to be breathing, and then there’s Billy. He’s taken the place of Kimberly and he’s speaking, it takes a moment for the words to make it through the din of her emotions.

     “Copy me. 7, 1, 3, 9, 8, 34, 51.”

     She does, the numbers are difficult and her tongue trips over the words, but she does. Billy recites another set of numbers and she follows, quicker this time. It takes time but soon she realizes she’s breathing steadily and the thoughts that were coming so fast have slowed. Her face is warm, flushed, and she can’t look the others in the eye as she stares down at the carpet on Jason’s floor. There’s an arm around her and Trini flinches, the touch feels too heavy and it scratches at her skin. Kimberly’s face is drawn tight at the movement and Trini wants to apologize, she wants to explain why the touch felt wrong but she doesn’t want to fall back into the pit she just escaped. She remains quiet.

     “You want to talk about it?”

     Zack’s voice is surprising but as she meets his eyes, sees the tightness around the corners and the lack of a smile, she knows that he felt her. The knowing look in his eyes is almost painful, she doesn’t want to answer but it’s the least she could do after what she put them through.

     “Nightmare.” It’s a single word but it does the trick and Zack nods, understanding. Billy still rests on the ground in front of Trini and she continues, curious. “How’d you know to do that?”

     He clears his throat and speaks, avoiding her eyes as he fidgets with the loose ends of the carpet.

     “My ma did the same for me. Things get…Things get overwhelming sometimes and it’s all just, kinda, too much. The numbers, uh, the repetition of them, helps slow my thoughts. Figured it was worth a shot.”

     “Thank you, Billy.”

     He smiles and it’s so bright that it seems to shine even in the dark room where the only light is the still lit T.V.. Jason comes into the living room and it’s only now that Trini realizes he was missing, there’s a plate in his hands and the smell from it is amazing. Cookies. She bites back a snort of inappropriate laughter as he hands everyone a cookie, he truly is the mom of the group. Jason sits down on the couch and gestures for Trini to take one of the chairs, oh, she’s been sitting on the ground. She must have rolled off the couch in her nightmare. Thankfully they had moved the coffee table to the side earlier or that would have been painful, or maybe she would have woken before the nightmare began. It’s quiet as they sit in the living room, eyes glancing from one person to another as they try and work up the courage to speak. It’s Kim that speaks and it shouldn’t be surprising to Trini, she noticed how much Kimberly hated quiet when she spent her first night at Kim’s house. Trini thinks it’s something about having too much time to think and second guess herself.

     “My mom wants me to go to therapy,” she lets out a bitter scoff, “not that she knows why I’ve been waking up loudly in the middle of the night. It’s not like I can just tell her that I’m a Power Ranger and I almost died defending the world; I enjoy not living in a padded cell.”

     “Eh, maybe your mom will take tips from mine and do a drug test.” Trini shrugs as the group looks at her. “What? She does it every month.”

     “Dude, that’s screwed up.”

     Zack lets out a playful cry of pain as Trini throws a pillow at him, he tries to throw it back but ends up hitting Jason. The heavy discussion is shelved as a (pillow) fight for honor ensues.

      There are footsteps on the stairs and the teenagers freeze as someone comes into view. The figure flicks the light on and the sleepy Mrs. Scott stares at the five feather covered teenagers before her. She sighs, heavily, and pinches the bridge of her nose.

     “I’m going back to bed…Make sure this-“ she gestures to the room with feathers and cloth strewn about, “-is cleaned up before morning.”

     The teenagers stare at each other as they wait for the receding footsteps to quiet. Billy is the first to snap, giggling as he plucks feathers off of himself, and the rest follow suit. They do clean the feathers up, sifting through the cloth and feathers as Jason bemoans his lost pillows, and snacking on tāngyuán and cookies. It’s a quiet affair only broken by a few questions, mostly about schoolwork, and Trini lingers at the photos on the shelf she’s cleaning feathers off of. Footsteps come up behind her, heavy yet measured, and she realizes it’s Jason before he speaks.

     “That’s my dad and me.” He picks up the frame Trini was looking at with a bittersweet smile. “I loved playing football with him, mostly because he was _so_ proud of me when I did well. I enjoyed our lunches after more, but I couldn’t tell him that.” He sets the photo down with a heavy sigh and turns to Trini “His expectations are part of what led me to pull the prank. I just…He hasn’t been the same since his brother died and I wanted him back. It was selfish but I didn’t care.”

     “I don’t know if my family ever really was one.” Trini’s voice comes as a surprise to herself but Jason just nods. “I loved my parents. I’m just not..I’m not what they want.” She looks at Jason and contemplates going further, the silent promise of no judgement in his eyes is heavy and, Trini thinks, fuck it. She’d die for these people, so why not talk to them? “It started when I realized I was gay and, even if I never said it aloud, well, they were able to guess.”

     “They’re idiots.” Zack’s voice is a shock and Trini almost jumps as he walks up from behind her, Billy and Kimberly following behind. “I mean, you’re awesome!”

     The earnestness in his voice warms Trini’s chest and a small smile flashes across her face as the team surrounds her. For a moment she feels trapped, as if they’re too close, and then Kim moves slightly. She’s made a space large enough for Trini to walk through if she so wished, it’s a simple thing but the soft smile on Kimberly’s lips almost chokes Trini with emotion.

     “What Zack said, if they want to be idiots then it’s their own fault. You’re our teammate _and_ our friend.”

* * *

  
      School is as boring as it always is. Trini isn’t dumb, not at all, she has a 4.0 grade average and she works to maintain it. It may be due to the fact her parents would be pissed with anything lower but it’s still something she’s proud of. But the fact she has a good grade doesn’t mean the teachers think she’s anything other than a troublemaker, especially after the locker incident. The warmth of the classroom doesn’t help her growing irritation at the teacher’s prodding. When the bell finally rings, it’s quickly swallowed beneath the noise of excited students rushing outside. Trini doesn’t rush, she packs up slowly and waits for Kimberly to finish packing as well. The bright pink backpack is filled to the brim with folders and papers. Organized chaos, Trini thinks, just like its owner. The fondness tinging the thought surprises Trini and she quickly shoves it away, the feelings are pressing but there are still issues to deal with. The other Rangers are waiting at the door and as their two female members join them, Jason announces that the training tonight is cancelled. Everyone but Billy halts in their shock; Jason is a good leader but he’s a taskmaster on training, not that any of them will complain as they too understand the burning _need_ to be prepared. Billy, however, smiles as Jason continues talking.

     “Billy has brought up that we don’t really know all that much about _being_ Power Rangers so he thought that we should spend time once a week speaking with Zordon-“ Zack groans loudly and Kim follows suit, “-yes, I know, but it’s necessary. This will help us find our limits.”

     It’s a good decision and Trini is glad for it, not just so that she can skip training, but because they do need more information. The only thing they had gotten out of Zordon, as he loomed over them with a face of metal that can never quite be trusted after what almost happened with Billy, was that the bond would grow and deepen as the relationship between the Rangers did the same. It was vague enough that it could be considered advice yet not clear enough to actually be of help, par for the course with Zordon. Jason’s truck is small, there isn’t enough room for the five of them, so the boys climb into the cab while the girls take the bed. There are a few tools that rattle around as the truck hits the occasional pothole but it’s quite relaxing. Kim must think so, she’s sprawled out with her arms hanging off the sides and her eyes are closed as the breeze ruffles her short hair. Trini’s breath catches as Kimberly’s eyes open, the sun catches them and the deep brown just seems that much deeper. The small smile that spreads across her face has Trini’s stomach doing flips, and then Kim mimes a kiss and her cheeks flush a brilliant shade of red as she stifles a cough. Trini doesn’t have to see Kim to hear the laughter that pours out of her and is caught by the wind. She’s beautiful and Trini smiles.

     The room is cold, the kind of chill that seeps into your bones and leaves them aching with every step. It’s not as if the ship doesn’t have heating, Trini muses, her room does. It’s probably just for Zordon’s dramatics. But the cold pales in comparison to the warm body next to her. Kimberly seems to have abandoned any ideas of personal space as her hand is wrapped around Trini’s, her body is pressed into Trini’s side as she shivers once more. It’s with a sigh that Trini pulls her flannel off and offers it to Kim, the thankful grin and the sight of Kimberly in her flannel is payment enough for the chill that races across Trini’s skin.

     Jason is glaring at Zordon, the only answers that have been given are echos of what’s been said before. Zack is, surprisingly, the one who steps in before the conversation can degrade into an argument.

     “Can you give us a list of abilities, like superhuman strength, and how long it took your team to gain them?” Jason is staring at Zack now, surprise mingling with other emotions on his face, and Zack rolls his eyes. “Oh come on, I know I’m beautiful but I have brains too!”

     Jason chuckles at the pout on Zack’s face and claps him on the shoulder before turning to Zordon and asking,

     “Will you do that?”

     It’s silent for a moment as the the Rangers stare at Zordon, the metal is still and no emotion can be seen on the face until, finally, he lets out a heavy sigh.

     “Yes. Alpha will have the list in a moment.”  
It’s as they’re leaving the cold room and entering the warmer, if more humid, pit that Trini realizes Kimberly is still holding her hand. She glances up at Kim when the grip on her hand tightens slightly, Kimberly is smiling at her as she leans in. And, oh, that’s closer than Trini expected her to get and her her stomach has abandoned mere flips in favour of a gymnastics routine. Kimberly’s lips are warm against Trini’s cheek and she can feel the bit of lipgloss left behind as Kim pulls away slightly to whisper,

     “Thanks for the flannel, that was chivalrous of you,” She chuckles, low and rough in a way that makes Trini’s spine stiffen, “my knight in yellow armor.”

     As she pulls away, Trini is left scrambling for the unshaken facade she’s tried so hard to maintain.

     “Guess that makes you my pretty-in-pink damsel.” The smirk on Trini’s face as she looks Kim up and down has the girl blushing. “Sorry, _gorgeous_ damsel.”

     As far as recoveries go, it’s not the worst Trini has done but it is a bit more dorky than she’d like. From the tint to Kimberly’s cheeks, there aren’t going to be any complaints from her so Trini’s counting it as a win. The fact that her hand is still wrapped around Kim’s is a bonus. Zack’s wolf whistle is easily ignored, along with his wink to Trini which she returns by flipping him the bird, and the two walk over to where Alpha is speaking to Billy and Jason.

     “…-angerous?”

     “No! No, the bond isn’t dangerous and you’ll learn how to control it with time.”

     Alpha seems panicked at the mere suggestion of the bond being dangerous but Trini thinks it’s a valid fear, the bond typically works at random times and it can be disconcerting getting a wave of calm when she’s angry from Billy or sadness from Zack when he’s with his mom. Billy glances at the two girls as they approach and quickly launches into an explanation of what’s been said, excitement on his face.

     “Our heartbeats are slower than normal, at resting, but they get up to speeds that are amazing when exercising to bring oxygen to our cells better. We also process oxygen more efficiently so it takes longer for our body to switch to anaerobic respiration.” Billy looks ecstatic at the new information while Trini is scraping up all of her biology knowledge to follow along. “Our muscles are _much_ denser and it’s increased our base metabolic rate to keep us in shape. We can still get sick but the physical…physical _enhancement_ is just…”

     Billy trails off as he grins, the words seeming to escape him but he doesn’t try to scramble for words, he knows the Rangers understand, and Jason takes over. Unlike Billy, his smile has a more serious edge to it.

     “The more…mental side of things is less measurable. We _should_ gain the ability to get a general sense of other Rangers locations if they’re in danger.” Jason runs his hands through his hair, his normally styled hair is mussed with the repetitive movement born of his frustration. “But we don’t know that we’ll get that, it’s all conjecture because we aren’t built exactly like the other Rangers were. The physical changes are the coins trying to make us like them. We do have the emotional part of the bond but we don’t know if it’ll grow the same way it did for them. It’s just waiting for now.”

     The frustration is understandable, Jason likes problems he can face and this is one that he can’t do anything about beyond waiting. Kim shrugs, her smile is easy and Trini almost thinks she’s ignoring the possible danger but she realizes, with some shame, that Kimberly is trying to make things easier for Jason and Billy.

     “So, we come back and every week during our tactic-slash-power meeting we do a full workup, blood, scans, the works, and see what changes there are. For now, why don’t we just go home and finish our work. I don’t know about you but Bio is _killing_ me.”

     It’s easier to focus on school than it is on possible dangers to the team, but not for Trini. While the rest of them get to go home she stays at the ship. Alone. It hasn’t been that long since the team was formed, barely a month, but she’s become used to the constant chatter of one or more person. She’s become used to the casual touches and questions that are tossed around the group as they study together. She doesn’t miss the hours of silence, filled by her thoughts and worries, she doesn’t miss having no one to talk to, she does not miss the painful wondering of when her parents will snap and yell again. She doesn’t miss being lonely. And that isn’t a pleasant realization for her, not fully, the loneliness was a cloak she wore. It was cold and heavy but with it draped over her shoulders she used it as a shield against everything that could hurt her and now that the comfortable misery she was in is gone, she doesn’t know how to guard herself against it anymore. She doesn’t know how to go back to pretending she’s fine.

     It’s the hand on her shoulder that pulls her from her thoughts. She thought she was alone, that the team had left, but one person remained behind. Kimberly’s smile is small and soft and so _real_ that Trini has to return it. As the smile pulls at her lips, she realizes, she doesn’t have to get used to being lonely. Just because she’s alone physically, it doesn’t mean no one is there for her. Kimberly’s grip is strong and Trini follows her gentle prodding down one of the many hallways. They stop in front of a door, the same grey metal as the rest of the ship, but there’s a bright pink ‘K’ that has been splashed on with some paint. Then the door is pushed open and Trini sees that the room is similar to her own, excusing the slight difference is layout. There’s a computer on the bed and Kim lays down in front of it.

     “You wanna watch some T.V. while we work?”

     “Sure, long as you can keep focused.”

     The tease earns Trini a halfhearted punch as she joins Kimberly on the bed. It’s quiet as they work, a few questions and flirts exchanged as time passes, but the biology homework is finished with little fanfare. It’s when Trini’s getting out the English assignment that it happens. She looks up and comes face to face with Kimberly, so close that she can smell the lipgloss that was on her cheek earlier. It’s peach and of all the things for Trini to focus on, the warmth from their breaths mingling, the smirk on Kimberly’s lips that would be irritating if it wasn’t so damn attractive, she chooses the lipgloss. The slight sheen it gives Kimberly’s lips as she leans in and she wonders if it’ll taste sweet, then again, she doesn’t really care. And then their phones ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger... Please leave a review if you enjoyed and a critique if you did not!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the happiest with how this turned out but I've rewritten it like five times. Writing Kimberly is painful.

     Calm. She’s calm. Nope! The growl Kimberly lets out is close to feral as she turns back to her phone on the bed. She would have let it ring, she still debates letting it go, but with Trini fumbling for her own phone it leaves her with little to do but answer it.

     “It better be life or fucking death, Jason! Or else it will be _your_ death.”

     “Trini’s parents are at my house!” Oh. Kimberly may not know everything that’s going on between Trini and her parents but the waves of emotion she got the other night don’t exactly endear her to them. Especially after finding Trini curled up on a bed in the ship. She glances at Trini, who’s gesturing angrily, before Jason continues. “Zack’s called Trini and Billy is…Well, he’s writing up escape routes from my house to get to the ship.”

     That doesn’t sound like the worst idea, at least, it is until the boys get caught. Ehhh…Nah, it’s not worth the risk. Trini’s hand is on Kimberly’s shoulder, lightly squeezing, and she gestures to the phone in her hand,

     “Zack, speaker is on.”

     “So, Mama T is looking mighty pissed, Tiny T. If she pushes that doorbell any harder I think something’s gonna break, either her finger or the door. Wanna bet which one?”

     Kimberly bites her tongue, holding back both a chuckle and an offer for the bet. Trini’s face is drawn tight and the worry that lines her face is an all too familiar sight. Kimberly’s hands twitch with barely restrained energy and she needs to do _something_ or she’ll go mad. She rests her hand on top of Trini’s and as her thumb drifts over the top a plan forms.

     “Jason, is your mom home?”

     “Uh, yeah. She’s- I kinda had to tell her a bit about the situation, sorry, Trini.”

     Trini grimaces a flash of something, shame, maybe, in her eyes and Kimberly wants to do nothing more than shut the phone off. Tell the world to fuck off and reassure Trini that everything’s alright. But she can’t, so instead she continues.

     “Invite them in.”

     “ _What!?_ ”

     Trini’s sentiment is echoed by Jason and Kimberly can only imagine the look on his face, but Trini’s open mouthed and wide eyed expression is what she thinks it’d look like. Whoops, thinks Kim, I didn’t really make it past this step. Well, it’ll come to me. And sure enough, it does.

     “Well, they’re obviously looking for Trini so we need to stall them and Mrs. Scott can talk, especially when she’s making a dinner.”

     “And then?”

     “Jason, just stall them. If you can’t then…Zack do what you do best, riff it.”

     She clicks the phone off before they can respond and looks at Trini. First thing first, figure out what’s going on behind those beautiful eyes. Kimberly has spent time with Trini, enough that she see the signs of worry from how Trini is tapping her foot in time with a song that only she can hear to the way her face is purposefully blank. Her hand is warm on Trini’s but the silence between them is broken by a harsh laugh,

     “Ya know, I didn’t think they’d actually bother looking for me once I left.” The grin on Trini’s lips is all sharp edges and the anger in her voice makes the words biting. “They put more effort into finding me, finding my friends, than they did actually being my parents.” Kimberly squeezes Trini’s hand, ignoring the way Trini’s hand is shaking from anger, and just listens. “I don’t know what to do.” It’s a soft admission, far quieter than her other words, and the vulnerability in them is reflected in her eyes as she stares up at Kim. “What do we do?”

     It’s the use of ‘we’ that hits Kim the hardest. The way Trini so willingly includes her in her life. It’s been a while since someone trusted Kimberly that much, the last one who did was Amanda and…well, that ended up badly- to say the least. To say it’s unsettling for Kimberly would be an understatement, old fears that she thought gone readily rise to the surface of her thoughts as she stares at Trini. What if she hurts Trini? What if she fucks up? ‘What if’. That’s not a question Kim is used to. She does her best to avoid questions like that, she acts, moves, and does so that she never has to live with the feeling of ‘what if’. It’s part of what got her into the situation with Amanda, she didn’t stop to _think_. She can’t risk that here.

     “I..I think we should go see your parents.” Trini’s eyes flash and Kimberly rushes to continue. “I mean, they could show up at school and raise a fuss in the middle of the day in front of everyone. Or we could confront them in a place where we have control with an adult that will back us up.”

     Trini grimaces and the twist to her face tells Kimberly just how correct she was with her first prediction but it fades with a sigh of resignation.

     “That’s not the worst idea you’ve had.” She flashes Kim a small grin and it’s all she can do to keep herself from grinning like a fool back at Trini, though it turns into an eye roll as Trini continues. “Definitely not as bad as when you _pulled_ me off a _cliff_.”

     “Oh come on! It turned out well, didn’t it?”

     “Sure, but that doesn’t mean you knew that. Anyways,” Trini’s smile fades as she continues, “the plan is a good one. But..”

     She trails off, eyes staring, not at the wall in front of them but through it, and Kim finishes the sentence.

     “But you don’t want to. Okay.” Trini’s brows furrow, the confusion is cute but almost offensive to Kimberly as she continues with a raised eyebrow. “What? Did you think I’d push when you’re obviously uncomfortable with the plan? If you don’t want to do it then we won’t. If you want to avoid your parents until they either give up or leave, we can do that. I will happily distract them whenever necessary. But I think you should talk to them, if only to get them to stop looking for you.”

     It’s quiet as Trini thinks. Kimberly used to hate silence, it gave her far too much time to think, too much time for the doubts to begin creeping in, and it later allowed her self-hatred to spit things at her from the corner of her mind. She only began to appreciate the calm it could bring when she started doing yoga with Trini, when she saw the way Trini would use music turned up so loud that it drowned out her own thoughts. It taught her patience, somewhat, and it also taught her how to read Trini. The subtle quirk to her lips when she sees something funny, the tilt of her head when she’s confused, and the look in her eyes when she sees the team. These are all things Kim knows how to read, she spent time and no small amount of difficulty learning it, but the look in her eyes now is one she doesn’t recognize. It’s a mixture of softness and caution and the way her hand carefully grasps Kimberly’s own back is more than enough to knock the air out of her lungs.

     “Okay, let’s go.”

* * *

 

     It doesn’t take long for them to reach Jason’s house. Oh, it could have. Jason lives a fair bit away from the ship and without their Ranger abilities it would be a thirty minute walk. But they couldn’t risk delaying and losing their chance to confront Trini’s parents. The nervousness that radiated off Trini is almost palpable as they approach the house and, Kimberly realizes as her own hands begin to twitch restlessly, the Ranger bond has decided that the nervousness qualifies as ‘danger’ so she actually _is_ feeling it. She want’s to hold Trini’s hand, wants to find comfort in the weight and heat and allow it to calm her nerves but she can’t. They’re going to see Trini’s homophobic parents, who she’s apparently ran away from, and for them to see the two holding hands…it probably wouldn’t go over to well. It’s bad enough that they’ll be arriving together while the boys are already together.

     Jason’s window is open when they approach and Pearl is half leaning out of it, enough so that Kimberly sees Trini bite her tongue to keep from saying anything. It’d be adorable how much Trini actually likes kids if Kim wasn’t worried herself, more so as Pearl speaks.

     “Go on in, it doesn’t sound like anyones upset right now. Ma’s been keeping them busy but it seems like they’re getting antsy.”

     “Thanks, kiddo. Go on inside, don’t want you getting hurt.”

     Trini’s voice is calm and Kimberly would believe that everything’s fine if it wasn’t for her to blank face and the Ranger bond. They don’t bother knocking but they do hesitate at the door. Trini’s breathing is uneven as the door swings open and they step inside, Kimberly places a hand on her shoulder for a moment. A reminder that she isn’t alone.  
Kimberly hasn’t met Trini’s parents before, it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise to her with the situation but it is. If only because she doesn’t understand how Trini turned out to be so amazing with these… _people_ looking after her. Mr Gomez stands as Trini enters and his face is hard, he’s tall and broad shouldered but despite his bulk the anger on his face pales in comparison to Mrs. Gomez’s. Her face is placid but the look in her eyes…it promises retribution and it _scares_ Kim. Her parents are kind and loving, if a tad distant since the whole thing with Amanda, but to see the expression on Mrs. Gomez’s face is unsettling; what’s almost worse is the fake smile that curls her lips and the way she opens her arms, expecting Trini to go hug her. Trini is stiff beside Kimberly and it infuriates her to see Trini like this, to see her so unsure of how to act. And then the boys come over.  
Trini doesn’t relax but the hunch to her shoulders fades slightly as the boys surround them, forming an obvious barrier between her and her parents. The tight smile on Jason’s face shows strain, he jumped wholeheartedly into this team and to see one of his friends, his _family_ , looking so…so _small_ infuriates him. Mrs. Gomez is the first to speak, her voice isn’t high or scratchy like Kimberly imagined, it’s smooth and sounds far too kind for someone who has done such harm to Trini.

     “Trini, darling, it’s so good to see you. We were so worried!” The saccharine tone leaves Kimberly trying, and failing, to hold back a glare. The sheer gall for this woman to pretend to be worried about Trini is astounding; what’s even worse, Kimberly isn’t sure she’d recognize that it’s fake if she didn’t see the way every word seemed to hit Trini harder than a Putty ever could. “Would you like to tell your father and I just where you’ve been?”

     It’s phrased like a question but there’s no doubt that it is anything but an order in the team’s minds. It’s Billy who speaks, surprising the team as he steps in front of Trini.

     “She’s been staying with me.” He pauses and his hands fiddle with something in his pockets as he avoids the Gomez’s eyes, not out of fear as his voice is strong and his face is hard, but because he’s uncomfortable with the confrontation. “I believe she’d prefer to remain at my house.”

     Trini sucks in a deep breath, and then promptly chokes on it. Kimberly isn’t the only one who turns to Trini with concern, Zack is right there by her side and it’s only once she’s breathing (somewhat) steadily that the two feel comfortable backing away. That, Kimberly muses, was one way to get to the point. Maybe not the best, but definitely the quickest.

     “And why would that be, Trini?”

     Mrs. Gomez looks appropriately wounded, her voice sounds pained and it takes everything Kimberly has to not push the women out of the house. And then pound her into the ground. The way Trini has curled into the team as they surround her has them all scowling. The tension in the room builds and Kim knows, with a horrible certainty, that when it breaks someone will be left hurt.

    “Cookies are done!” The cheery voice floats between the two parties and the bewilderment is almost humorous as a smiling Mrs. Scott bustles into the room, bringing with her a plate of still warm cookies. “Why don’t you grab a cookie and I’ll get us some milk, I’ll be right back.”

     The two sides stare each other down. A cookie crunches and Kimberly can only raise an eyebrow at Zack as he chows down on said cookie. A snort comes from beside her and she almost starts as she realizes it came from Trini, it’s edged with hysteria but with it her shoulders relax just a tad more. Maybe not the most appropriate at the time, but Kimberly can’t find it within her to fault Zack as it gave Trini a respite. Sadly, the look on the Gomez’s faces show a distinct lack of amusement. Mrs. Gomez steps forward. Trini flinches. It’s that little movement that sets the team off, that involuntary sign of fear, and the way Trini’s hand goes to her cheek leaves Kimberly seeing red as she steps up beside Billy.

     “You two need to leave, and don’t bother Trini again.” Kimberly’s voice is hard, in a way that it hasn’t been since she was a cheerleader and for a moment she regrets falling into that persona once more but it serves her purpose. “Understand?”

     “I can see why you’ve been acting in such an awful manner, Trini, if _this_ is the company you’re keeping.” The first time Mr. Gomez has spoken, his voice is deep and rumbles with disappointment. There’s no anger and that’s almost worse. How, Kimberly wonders, can this man act as if he has the high ground? Mr. Gomez sighs heavily. “Trini, just come home and we can _talk_.”

     It’s the last word that seems to have an effect on Trini, Kimberly can almost feel her stiffen behind her and she _can_ feel the anger that floods the bond. A hand gently pushes her aside and Trini steps through the space.

     “As Billy said, I’d prefer to keep living where I have been.”

     “That’s enough, you are coming home with us!”

     Mrs. Gomez steps forward with a snarl, any sign of the false pleasantness wiped away as she reaches for Trini. She doesn’t make it far, Jason quickly cuts her path off while Kim turns to Trini and curses under her breath. Just like when they stayed at Jason’s the other night, Trini’s armor is crawling over her hands and, this time, her throat as well. Her eyes are wild, searching for something no one else can see and her chest rises with shuddering breaths. Kimberly reaches for her and desperately searches her mind to find something to help. Then it hits her.

     “Count with me,” She can hear the sounds of Jason arguing but she focuses on Trini, “one, four, twenty-seven, five, eighty-three.”

     It takes time but Kimberly can see how it helps, the way Trini’s breathing evens out as she repeats the numbers, the way her gaze begins to focus on Kimberly, and how the hand in Kim’s own beings to tighten slightly. Trini seems to be holding back a wince with every breath; Kimberly feels a pang of sympathy, she had a panic attack once, when Amanda messaged her after the photo was sent out, and she remembers the pain that lingered in her chest, the way it felt like she had something pushing down on her chest, and the way she couldn’t shake the nauseous feeling from anxiety and guilt. More of the former than the latter in Trini’s case, most likely. The armor that had begun spreading across her clothes retreats, just as Mrs. Scott returns with a jug of milk and some glasses. Her cheery demeanor fades as she sees Jason squaring off with Mr. Gomez and Mrs. Gomez glaring at Zack, who’s grinning at her.

     “What is going on?”

    Mrs. Gomez looses the look of anger so fast Kimberly is left spinning as the woman turns to Mrs. Scott with a broken expression,

     “Mrs. Scott, we’re just trying to have our daughter come home but these kids won’t allow us to speak to her.”

     Mrs. Scott looks from the still hostile Mr. Gomez to the four teenagers protectively standing in front of Trini. Her gaze sharpens as she sees the drying tear tracks on Trini’s face, and then she examines the Gomez’s before asking,

     “Trini, dear, what do you want?”

     The confusion on Trini’s face is almost comical, the way her brow furrows as she tries to parse what hidden meanings could be behind Mrs. Scott’s words. Kimberly’s chest aches as she realizes that Trini wasn’t expecting Mrs. Scott to even consider what she wanted, the way she had begun curling into herself once more shows what she expected to happen. And, god, Kim wants nothing more than to make it so Trini never has to face this, but she knows she can’t. It’s hard to believe they’re only kids. Barely eighteen, some still seventeen, but they’ve seen someone die and have fought for their lives. Then they went home to face their parents and school, it’s surreal beyond belief and Kimberly almost wishes that they didn’t have to deal with this, that they were all _just_ Rangers. Wishes that they could be family without the press from outside responsibilities. But they can’t, and so Kimberly just watches as Trini forces words through her tight throat while standing beside her in an offering of support.

     “I…I don’t think that…” Trini takes a deep breath, seeming to rally herself under the stares of her parents as they glare at everyone they can. “They need to leave.”

     Kimberly’s afraid Mrs. Scott is going to refuse, but then she turns on the Gomez’s with a hard look that makes it clear no argument will be tolerated. She gently moves Jason out of the way and clears a path to the door.

     “I believe it would be best if you headed home.”

     It’s silent for a moment as the Gomez’s fume, not wanting to back down. Mr. Gomez gently takes Mrs. Gomez’s hand and tugs her towards the door. It’s silent as they stalk through the parting and it’s silent as Ms. Gomez glares at Trini. The door slams and as the noise punctuates the silence, Trini sags into Kimberly’s side. Kimberly warps an arm around her and from the way Trini lays on her, she knows she’s the only thing holding her up. Zack floats across the room, a victorious grin dancing across his lips, and he hands Trini a cookie with a wink. The air slighter but there’s still a heaviness that hangs across them, the knowledge that this was only a battle. Mrs. Scott chases them into the living room and puts on a movie, pointedly avoiding any mentions of what happened. Trini sinks into the couch, her face blank as her eyes focus past the T.V., and Kim rests an arm around her shoulders. Zack doesn’t even whistle, not that Kimberly thinks Trini would notice if he did with how far her mind is from them.

     “Hey,” Kimberly offers Trini a dorky grin as the girl looks at her with a raised eyebrow and continues, “I ‘Hart’ you.”

     “Oh my god…” Trini face palms as Kimberly laughs, the glare shot her way does nothing to stop her especially as a pretty blush colours Trini's cheeks. “Jesus, Kim, that was _awful_.”

     The two settle into a comfortable position on the couch, occasionally poking fun at the characters on the screen, until Mrs. Scott walks into the room with a towel in her hand.

     “Kimberly, would you be a dear and help me make more cookies?”

     The entire team laughs at Kimberly as she perks up at the mention of cookies but she glances towards Trini, only to be waved off and so she heads into the kitchen. It’s a nice kitchen, Kimberly asses, organized but with cute baubles that makes the place feel homey. She especially enjoys the picture of the Red Ranger on the fridge, she’s biting back a laugh as Mrs. Scott explains,

     “He saved my husbands life, and Pearl thinks he’s ‘cool’.” She chuckles as she adds, “Jason is a little jealous of how much Pearl likes him.”

     Jason is jealous of…Jason. That’s fucking _priceless_ and Kimberly makes a note of it to tease him with later. The cookies are made with little fanfare, ignoring when Mrs. Scott chides Kimberly for sneaking cookie dough, until the woman asks,

     “Is Trini okay?”

     The question takes Kim aback, she was wondering when the questions about what happened would come but she expected them to be more focused on just why the Gomez’s felt the need to come to Jason’s house and why they were almost in a fist fight in the living room. She didn’t expect Mrs. Scott to be worried about Trini and, while she feels slightly guilty about that, it isn’t a surprise when they had Zordon sending them to their deaths, parents like the Gomez’s, and secrets pressing down on their shoulders. They’ve become used to doing things themselves. But Trini? Trini’s been doing it much longer than any of them and it shows, or rather it _doesn’t_ and that’s the issue.

     “No, but-“ Kimberly listens as Zack cries out as Trini teases him and a smile spreads across her face, “-I think she will be.”

* * *

 

          _Octochromatic_

_SaberCat: any of you guys at Carol’s Corner?_

_InsomniZack: nahh but ice cream sounds good_

_SaberCat: seriously, I felt something from the bond and then its like the location was in my mind._

_Jock: Roll call, everyone. Zack, stop changing my name ffs._

_Jock changed their name to Jason_

_I <3U: not me_

_SaberCat: no shit sherlock, you’re right next to me._

_InsomniZack: ooooohhh~_

_BillyC: I’m at home, and I feel relatively calm._

_Jason: You okay, T?_

_SaberCat: yeah it was just weird._

_I <3U: when isn’t ranger stuff weird?????? _

_BillyC: I’ll ask Alpha the next time we’re in the Pit._

_InsomniZack: I need to ask alpha something too so I’ll go with u B_

     “So, what do you think it was?”

     Trini shrugs and Kim huffs out a breath from her position sprawled across a chair in one of the many rooms aboard the ship, this one resembles a mix of a living room and a game centre. Trini may not say anything in return but Kimberly can see the way her eyes dance across the room, hundreds of thoughts flitting behind her eyes, but what bothers Kimberly is that Trini looks stuck in her head. She knows from personal experience just how painful that can end up being, she spent far too many nights just _thinking_ and letting the guilt choke her, and she wants to pull Trini out of that.

     “Let’s go hiking!”

     Trini stares at her as if she’s grown a second head before she shrugs and gets to her feet, walking towards her room as Kimberly trails behind.

     “Grab yourself some spare clothes from your room.” What? At Kim’s confused look Trini elaborates, “The ship has..created? I don’t know, it’s made clothes for us and I don’t want to think about the how all too much.”

     Kimberly decides that’s probably the best idea and tries not to think about just why there is jeans and an only soft t-shirt that’s a brilliant pink that fits perfectly. Her sneakers are less than perfect for hiking and it seems the ship hasn’t created any boots…Oh, well that’s simple. When Kimberly exits her room to see Trini, looking unfairly attractive in Kim’s opinion, the first thing Trini does is ask,

     “Why?”

     “The ship didn’t have boots!”

     “Oh, that makes _complete_ sense. You _obviously_ had to use your _armor_ as boots.”

     Kimberly pouts at Trini’s teasing, it was a clever idea! Trini seems to hear her thoughts and rolls her eyes; her hand wraps around Kimberly’s arm and she gently pulls her through the hallways towards the exit. She tosses a playful smirk over her shoulder and God, Kim thinks, this girl is going to kill her. And she’s _glad_ for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dessert from last chapter, tāngyuán, is a real dessert and it is amazing. Update schedule: I update once every five to six days at around 5:00pm Hong Kong time. If you enjoyed leave a review and a critique if you did not! Also, I'm on Tumblr at WisdomOfSpace so please come scream at me about stuff, or send in prompts you would like me to write! Fair warning, I have a second leech on my account (Wis: Hey!) so my friend and Beta, Wisdom, may answer things if I am not online. Apologies for the long A/N!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you guys have guessed, the Green Ranger will be coming soon (much surprise, such creativity). If there's anything particular you'd like to see please let me know!

 

     “Come on!”

     Trini glares up at Kimberly, sweat running down her face and dirt on her trousers, and shakes her head. Hiking is one thing, doing idiotic tricks is another. Sadly, Kimberly doesn’t seem to recognize the difference and is trying to convince Trini of the same. Kimberly sighs heavily in disappointment and falls back beside Trini as they walk. It’s peaceful, the sound of birds and the gentle bubbling of a nearby stream. Trini hates it. Oh, she wouldn’t normally, but all she can think of is her parents. The heavy sighs of her father and the way her mother glared at her, and that’s not even touching the guilt she feels over the cast on her mother’s wrist that was almost covered by her flowing shirt. It wasn’t all bad, it was heartwarming to see her teammates protect her. Watching them stand up to her parents while blocking their path to her. She knew they cared, after everything they’ve been through it would have been idiotic of her to believe they didn’t hold some feelings of fondness, but it’s…it’s still nice to see in action. The arm around her shoulders surprises her and she looks up at Kimberly with a jolt, the sly smirk on Kimberly’s face has her rolling her eyes. Damn flirt. Despite how Trini may act, she isn’t averse to Kim’s teases, but it’s part of their little game. I wonder, Trini thinks, just when will this game have to be acknowledged? Because it will have to be, this silence between them as they don’t acknowledge the almost kiss will end eventually, but for now Trini’s just comfortable playing her roll.

     Kimberly’s grin is light and the way the sun frames her face with shades of red and orange is awe inspiring. The forest itself is beautiful, fresh green with the coming of summer and the sky is ablaze with the setting sun. But it pales in comparison to Kimberly, with her short hair ruffling in the breeze and her hands ghosting across Trini’s own as she walks backwards. The look in her eye, the same one she had when they were in Krispy Kreme fooling around, is begging for Trini to do something. And Trini isn’t sure what that something is but she does know that if Kim were to ask for it at that moment, she’d say yes. Maybe this is when it happens, maybe this is when one of them will lean in just that little bit. Oh, it won’t be that simple, Trini knows that, she knows that there will have to be conversations, but she also wants to feel Kimberly against her. Wants to feel her pressed flush against her and taste her.

     It’s the sound of crumbling rock that alerts Trini something is wrong before Kimberly even has time to feel her foot begin to slip. Even as Kimberly tries to pull herself forward, Trini already has a grasp on her and yanks her away from the crumbling cliff. The rush of air from her lungs as something warm lands on her is painful but the grinning face so close to hers quickly makes that information seem unimportant. She can feel Kimberly against her, and isn’t that an odd way to get one’s wish fulfilled, the touch isn’t light but the warmth that spreads through her body is comforting. Trini isn’t used to touch, and she’ll quickly blame any and all cracks in her suave facade on this little fact. Just like now, as her cheeks flush and she wiggles slightly, only realizing that the movement _really_ isn’t helping. Kimberly, on the other hand, has a grin that can only be described as roguish as she waggles her eyebrows.

     “I always knew I’d be on top.”

     Who knew it’d only take a sentence for Trini’s facade to break entirely, the slight blush turning into one that warms the very tips of her ears as she pointedly looks away from Kimberly, who is _still_ on top of her and seemingly in no rush to move. Trini swallows heavily and licks her lips, pointedly ignoring the way Kimberly’s eyes follow the movement, and tries to regain some semblance of calm. She fails entirely and the words that fall out of her mouth have her contemplating inflicting a concussion so she can forget it.

     “If you wanted me on my back, all you had to do was ask.”

     It’s not what she meant to say, not anywhere close to what she was trying to say, and Kimberly’s laughter doesn’t help the growing desire to bash her own head against a rock. Kimberly’s breath is warm against her ear as she leans in, lips ghosting along the edge and leaving Trini shivering despite the heat of the evening, and whispers,

     “I’ll keep that in mind.”

     It wouldn’t be entirely false to say that Trini was contemplating ignoring the little voice in her head screaming about boundaries to lean in and kiss Kimberly. Oh, she comes close, her face so close to Kimberly’s that she can see the thin ring of brown that edges the widened pupil, but she stops. She can’t. Not until she knows Kim wants it. Not like that, she pushes some very vivid images from her mind, but she wants to know this is more than some fling. She knows she’s gay, has for a long time, but Kimberly isn’t out and Trini doesn’t want to be some…some kind of _exploration_ thing. She knows that Kim wouldn’t use her like that, wouldn’t manipulate her emotions like that, but the doubt still persists. It persists when she sees Kim flirting with the other rangers, even jokingly, and part of it is because of Trini’s own insecurities. She’s mature enough to admit that she definitely has issues when it comes to relationships, it’d be a damn miracle if she didn’t after her parents, but she also doesn’t want to push. The last thing she wants is to be reading the signs wrong, for the flirtations to be just friendly or for her to be pushing where there isn’t anything. Just because someone has a crush, doesn’t mean there should be a relationship. Trini learned that the hard way. She’s not willing to make that mistake with Kim, and so she’ll wait until Kimberly is ready to make the first move. Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier on her as Kim finally sits up, now straddling Trini’s hips, and the languid movements are close to breaking that little bit of self control she has left.

     “Damn, I think even with Ranger powers that fall would’ve hurt.” Trini can’t see past Kim but the way the girl’s gaze falls down the ravine behind her speaks for its depth. “Thanks, Trin.”

      Kimberly moves off of Trini, and she misses the comforting warmth before it’s even fully gone. If Trini seems a tad shaky as she climbs to her feet, neither of them comment on it, instead they survey the area. They spent a good part of the day hiking, so long that the sun will be below the horizon here soon, and Trini wonders what Kimberly’s parents will say. She turns to ask, the words are on the tip of her tongue and they die there as she sees Kim hunched over. She’s in front of her in a moment, hands finding their way to the side of Kimberly’s face as she speaks.

     “What’s wrong?” Trini’s voice is calm and even, if there’s one thing she’s thankful for it’s that she’s learned how to keep calm in dangerous situations. Like now, as Kimberly crumples to her knees and her breath hisses through her teeth. “Kimberly, hey, please stay with me. Look at me.”

     Trini’s voice is soft, it’s a voice she usually reserves for her brothers when they’re hurt or upset, but right now she’s just trying to do anything she can to find out what’s wrong. Her worry doesn’t fade when Kimberly’s hand clasps one of her own but it does lessen, especially when Kim begins to breath normally. They’re on the ground, dirt and stones digging into both of their legs, but neither pay any attention to it. The sun has set by the time Kimberly finds the breath to speak.

     “Well…shit.” It’s inappropriate but Trini can’t hold back a slight chuckle at the words. “We need to get the boys. Now. Something is _wrong_.“

     “Okay, let’s go back to the ship. The guys know that if anything goes wrong that’s where we meet, and I seriously doubt you’re the only one who felt that.”

     The trip back to the ship is quiet but Trini doesn’t move from Kimberly’s side, keeping an arm wrapped around her. The fear that shot through her when she saw Kimberly bent over in pain has her on edge and every snap of a branch has her jumping. It’s just worry and fear, she knows that, but that doesn’t stop the flashes of green she sees at the edges of her vision.

* * *

     The boys are at the ship when they arrive, still damp from the swim down and, in Zack’s case, dripping on the ground. Jason has a frown on his face and the furrow in his brow as he paces is familiar, he hasn’t looked this worried since the first week they were made rangers. Billy’s face is drawn and he gestures wildly, not even noticing as the two girls arrive. Zack notices and he greets them, all of his usual cheer gone.

     “Did you guys feel something too?”

     “Yeah, I felt like I was being hit by a train. Again.” Kimberly’s voice is dry as she steps forward, Trini falls back behind her to observe the team as they converse. “What’d you guys get?”

     Jason grimaces and rubs his eyes, bringing the redness to Trini’s attention, and his voice is rough with emotion that’s not his own.

     “I got the feelings. Someone was _terrified_ of being hurt, even killed, it was….it was an unpleasant experience.” Jason may not tell everything, Trini can tell that from how he looks away from the team, but the underlying meaning of his words is clear. It felt like he was back fighting Rita, sympathy for him floods through Trini as she holds back her own grimace. “Zack got a location. We need to talk to Zordon before we go, he may know what’s going on.”

     Trini hates the area of the ship Zordon is in, it’s dark and cold. It’s empty, _hollow_ , in a way that makes her feel as if the ship is being silent out of some sort of mourning. It’s a vast cry from the almost warm atmosphere of the area where she now lives. Zordon is waiting for them, apparently Alpha told him what they’ve been saying, and his face is grim.

     “Rita was still a Ranger, if a Corrupted one-“ the unspoken capitalization just leaves Trini with more questions, “-and now that she’s gone, the green coin is searching for a new Ranger.”

     “But if the coin is just searching from someone, and wouldn’t it still be in space? I mean, it went with Rita. But how does this all affect our bond?”

     Billy twists his hands as he paces, copying Jason’s earlier movements without realizing, and Zordon watches on without empathy. Trini wonders what he was like before, before he lost his team. She can’t imagine losing her team, or what it would do to her, and she almost feels bad for Zordon. But he made his choices and they’ve made theirs.

     “The coins were made by a sage, Ninjor, and the process is still an unknown to all but him. The coins have their own form of sentience, _they_ choose Rangers based off of a multitude of available information. I believe the coin has chosen a new Ranger and, even if the coin has not yet reached the Ranger, it has begun to bring them into the team by way of the bond.”

     It’s more information than the team expected Zordon to give, even if it’s only a theory. There’s not much else to be said, most of them were expecting to spend more time whittling the information out of Zordon and for him to so readily give it up has them on edge. More so than they already were. It’s as they’re leaving the room that Zordon calls out a warning, one that leaves Trini shivering.

     “Beware. The coin itself may still hold Corruption, I don’t know how that could affect its choice in Ranger.”

     Great. So the Ranger may just be another Rita. It’s a chilling thought and one Trini _really_ doesn’t want to consider. The team is silent as they regroup in the Pit; Kimberly rests on a rock and Trini sits beside her, her hand finds Kim’s without fully realizing it. It’s a small connection but it brings a small bit of comfort to Trini. Zack is the first to speak, his voice quiet in the spacious room.

     “What do we do?”

     Jason straightens, huffing out a breath as he draws himself upright to what Trini likes to call his ‘hero pose’.

     “We find them, they’re still a Ranger even if they don’t know it yet.”

     “Are you serious?” The words are harsh and for a moment Trini regrets it as all eyes turn to her but she buckles down and continues. “This person could be another Rita. We need to be careful, I say we find the coin and see if we can get rid of this ‘Corruption’.”

     Trini’s worried, more than that, she’s _scared_. The coins could have chosen a terrible Ranger, look at them! This team is something Trini likes, but it’s not as if they’re the most stable of people. Maybe that’s why the coins chose them, the coins chose people who would willingly go to their deaths and people who would do that have some kind of baggage. It’s a morbid thought but one that makes sense, the coins choose those with no regard for themselves. The coins choose martyrs. And just what would a Corrupted coin choose?

     “Trini, they _are_ a Ranger. Don’t let Zordon’s fears get to you.” Jason’s voice is firm and Trini wants to shout, doesn’t he get it? Doesn’t he see the danger!? She _can_ ’ _t_ lose this team and this is a risk. “We’ll check the person out before we talk to them or anything, okay? We won’t go in without making sure they’re okay.”

     It’s not what Trini wants, she wants to find Rita’s coin and have Alpha study it until he’s sure it’s clear. She wants to keep the team away from whoever this person is. It’s irrational, she knows that, but that doesn’t stop the irritation clawing at her throat begging her to let it out. But the team isn’t who she’s mad at and she refuses to take it out on them. She gives Jason a jerky nod and turns from the team, ignoring the rest of the discussion.

     Kimberly’s hand on her shoulder draws her from her thoughts and she turns. There’s no teasing smirk of grin on Kimberly’s face, the atmosphere is far too heavy for that, but the small smile on her lips is as warm as her hand.

     “Would you like to come over for dinner?”

     “Would you like to stay forever!”

     The two turn to Zack who has a grin on his lips. Note to self, Trini thinks, never _ever_ allow Zack to watch Mulan again. He wilts under the combined glare of Trini and Kimberly and the two resume their conversation as he scoots away towards Jason and Billy.

     “…you’re not cooking are you?” The question earns Trini a light smack but it is a fair question. Kimberly can cook well when she puts all her effort into it but she often ends up forgetting steps or trying to take shortcuts to make it easier to cook, the one (and only) time she cooked with the Rangers resulted in her managing to leave scorch marks on the _ceiling_. “Okay, okay, no need to be violent. I’d be glad to come over.”

* * *

     It’s when Trini sees a nice car outside of Kimberly’s house that she realizes the dinner won’t just be the two of them, not that it’s an issue, Trini _adores_ the Harts, but it would have been nice to have some warning. She would have worn some jeans that don’t have holes in them. The door swings open as the two approach and a grinning Mr. Hart stands in the doorway. His shirt is ruffled, there are a few stains on it and the smell that wafts out from behind him show that he’s been cooking.

     “What are you teenage ruffians doing here?” Kimberly rolls her eyes as he laughs at his own joke, it’s familiar and Trini feels like she’s intruding. Then Mr. Hart turns to her and clasps her on the shoulder. “Hey, Trini! Kimberly treating you okay?” He glances towards Kimberly and then leans in, stage whispering, “Blink twice if you need me to rescue you.”

     Trini looks at Kimberly, who’s glaring at her father, and then back to Mr. Hart. She blinks twice slowly.

     “Oh come on! Trin, you’re supposed to be on my side!”

     Kimberly’s playful dismay has Trini shrugging as she responds.

     “I’m on the side of whoever is making that _delicious_ food.”

     The two Harts chuckle, Trini wasn’t really joking because, God, that food smells _amazing_ , but if it makes them laugh then it works. The kitchen is alive with the sound of pans being moved and food cooking, it reminds Trini of when she was younger. When her mother would spend the evening teaching her how to cook flan or pastel de tres leches…Mrs. Hart greets them with a shout, not wanting to leave the cooking food, and promises she’ll be out in a little bit. Trini helps Kimberly set the table, she’s been over a couple times and she’s thankful for that as it allows her to help instead of standing around awkwardly.

     The table is set and soon enough the food is out, along with Mrs. Hart. The tall woman is pretty and Kimberly resembles her with her high cheekbones. They share a smile too, although Mrs. Hart’s is tempered by age and a sort of calm assurance. The lamb and biryani dish is in the centre of the table and it’s mouthwatering; Kimberly explained to Trini that her family doesn’t get to eat together often but, when they do, it’s often traditional food as her mother wants her to experience more than just what Angel Grove has. It’s also to prevent her grandmother from having that disappointed look on her face when she answers about how she’s been eating, which Trini finds hilarious but Kimberly swore up and down that there’s nothing worse than her grandmother’s disappointment. Dinner is an entertaining affair, Mr. Hart teases Kimberly left and right while Mrs. Hart watches with an amused eye. Occasionally her or Trini will pop in with a remark that typically leaves Kimberly sputtering in false outrage. However the attention turns to Trini later in the evening when Mrs. Hart asks,

     “And how are you, Trini?”

     It’s a loaded question, almost comically so, and Trini struggles to answer it. How is she? Well, she’s hasn’t slept more than four hours in a month, the panic attacks after nightmares leave her gasping for breath and struggling to remember that she is safe. All in all, she’s not been having a good time. But, she looks at Kimberly who is staring back at her with a warm grin, and she realizes, it’s okay that she’s been struggling. It’s okay, because she isn’t going through it alone. Trini can’t remember the last time she had such unconditional support and, now, she can’t imagine going without it.

     “Things have been difficult here recently, but I have people helping me.”

     It’s an honest answer. More than that, it’s an _open_ answer. Being closed off is something Trini’s mastered, false grins and sarcastic comments to protect her, but she’s becoming used to opening up. A hand rests on her one of her own and she looks at Kimberly, who offers a squeeze along with a grin. Mrs. Hart grins at Trini, and for a moment the Ranger wishes Kimberly knew the meaning of _subtlety_ , but the woman just turns back to her husband to ask about his work.

     Trini ends up in Kimberly’s room. The girl was insistent and seems to be catching on to the fact Trini can’t really deny her. The bright pink room is familiar, more than the one in her parent’s house ever was, and the two of them curl up on the bed together. The first time this happened, when Kimberly basically told Trini she would be coming over, Trini spent almost fifteen minutes trying to find her words while fighting down a blush at the idea of being in Kim’s bed. It’s an almost laughable memory now. Mr. and Mrs. Hart lean in through the half closed door to say their goodnights, the latter winking at Trini and causing her to flush a brilliant red. It’s a familiar routine and this time Trini doesn’t feel like she’s intruding. As she curls up against Kimberly, she thinks to herself that maybe, just maybe, she has a family outside of the Rangers too.

  
   TEASER: _Trini’s eyes burn, the blood dripping down into her eye blinds her but she can’t wipe it away without removing her helmet. The movements of battle have become second nature. The burn in her legs as she ducks behind yet another enemy warns her that she won’t last much longer. It’s fast, quick, and dirty. The blood on her daggers isn’t her own and she has to remind herself that what she’s fighting aren’t people. But they aren’t putties either._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! So, I'm going to be heading to America here soon because my grandma's sick (She'll be fine!). But their house is in the middle of nowhere Arkansas and wifi is unreliable. Chapters will be coming still but I can't promise they'll be entirely regular. Also, I am going to be pulling quite a bit from the past Power Ranger T.V. shows and movies so disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please leave a review if you enjoyed and a critique if you did not! (PS: Anyone else going to Glitch Con in Arkansas? If so shoot me a message and maybe we'll see each other!)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! This chapter was finished by Wisdom (Cos is in the hospital, she's fine! Just recovering from a liver donation and talking about how chicks will dig her scar *eyeroll*) so apologies for any drastic style changes.

 

     Kimberly’s locker hasn’t been replaced, that isn’t a surprise with the lack of any real care about the event. Honestly, Trini’s surprised that she hasn’t been called into the office for her throwing it into a classroom. That’s not really the point right now though. What is, is the way whispers follow Kimberly as she approaches Trini. Giggles come from two girls as they stage whisper obnoxious things. Trini’s been bullied before, she’s been where Kim is and while she can ignore them it isn’t as easy for the other girl. She thinks it’s because Kimberly grew up with these people, and that she cares far too much. While Trini may be able to ignore the whispers, she knows Kimberly can’t. So she does the best thing she can. She distracts Kimberly.

     “Still up for movie night at Billy’s?” A distracted nod is Kimberly’s only answer, Trini pushes on. “I don’t know what we’re watching yet, Jason mentioned a new show called Scream but Zack isn’t a fan of horror movies, or shows.” Kimberly’s eyes are distant as she hums a response and Trini huffs out a breath. “Jason and I are madly in love and are planning to elope.” No response. “I think I’m going to wear a brilliant yellow frilly dress and Alpha is going to walk me down the aisle.”

     “Wait. _What_!?”

     “Oh, hey, nice to see ya.” Kimberly glares as something dangerously close to a growl escapes her, if Trini didn’t know any better she’d accuse Kim of jealousy. “So, are you prepared for the History quiz you mentioned the other day?”

     The quiz was something Kimberly had ranted about at length, Trini only understood half of what she was saying but she does remember the evident frustration as Kimberly was revising. Despite Kimberly’s claims that the teacher had it out for her, Trini has the feeling that the girl will do fine. At least, if she doesn’t second guess herself. It’s odd to study with Kimberly because despite her utter confidence in training or social situations, when it comes to schoolwork she tends to hesitate.

     “I haven’t slept in three days. I’m running on coffee and spite, my thoughts are jumping from the Civil War to the Whisky Rebellion and I can name the first person in the House of Burgess.” Kimberly’s face splits into an exhausted grin, and Trini can only roll her eyes as she sees the telltale shake of too much coffee. “I’m going to do _great_ “

     She doesn’t bother holding back a chuckle at the sarcasm, Kimberly always seems to notice when she does and only increases her efforts to make Trini laugh. It’s quiet as the two walk down the hallway, a comfortable silence that’s broken by little laughs as Trini knocks her shoulder against Kim’s own. If she happens to do that whenever a nearby person mutters a comment a little too loudly, who can blame her? And who can blame her if someone accidentally caught her foot and face planted?

     Math is Trini’s least favourite classes. So it’s of course the first lesson she has on Tuesday’s. The teacher isn’t a bad one, he’s young and clearly fascinated by the subject he teaches, but Trini just doesn’t like the subject. It’s easy for her to zone out, stare at the clock as it slowly ticks by. None of the other Rangers are in this class, no one she can pass notes with or joke with. It doesn’t take long for the tapping of her pen to grow old, the glare she gets from the girl next to her doesn’t help. Finally, Trini rises from her seat and grabs one of the bathroom passes next to the door. She isn’t going to be able to focus, especially when there’s an itch on the back of her neck. One that crawls down her spine and has her shivering with nervousness as the unmistakable feeling of being watched leaves her hands twitching, her armor seems to be pushing at her skin.

     The door closes far too loudly for Trini’s frayed nerves. The air is cold, far colder than the rest of the school- especially with the heat of summer laying thick in the air- and the way it cools her skin is comforting. She notices, rather quickly as the pressing feeling in her head has only grown, oh it isn’t _her_ nervousness, she isn’t alone.

     “Hey, you okay?”

     From the way Kimberly is bent over the sink with her hair forming a curtain, hiding her face but not the way her shoulders rise unevenly, it’s clear the girl is far from okay. She’s not throwing up, there’s no noise so Trini rolls that out. A soft hiccup, loud in the quiet room, echos slightly in the air and Trini’s heart sinks. She approaches slowly, making each step squeak on the linoleum floor, and her gaze is steady. She’s worried, more than that though, she’s _angry_. Kimberly is upset, to say the least, and Trini wants nothing more than to beat whatever caused the pain into small pieces until the tears have stopped coming. It’s vicious, the protective streak that flashes through her, and the vitriol of it surprises her. It shouldn’t. She cares about Kimberly (more than cares) and the anger that comes to her so easily comes quicker when it’s on behalf of a hurt friend.

     Kimberly’s shirt is soft as Trini rubs small circles on her back, the movement slow and, hopefully, calming. Trini may not be used to touch but she sees how Kim uses it, the way she reaches for a Ranger after a tough spar, how she’s constantly finding ways to be in contact with Trini. Touch grounds Kimberly, the exact opposite to herself. When the anxiety gets to be too much, any form of touch is suffocating; but for Kimberly it’s a way for her to be in the present. Trini may get stuck in her thoughts but Kim gets stuck in the past. The breath is knocked from Trini as Kimberly turns and clutches at her, the fabric of Trini’s shirt twisting in her hands. Despite the short gasp of surprise that comes from Trini there’s no other sign of surprise. She wants to ask what happened, what caused Kimberly to be crying in a bathroom, but she doesn’t. She just waits, she’ll always wait for Kimberly.

     When Kimberly pulls back, her eyes are puffy and red. Her cheeks are still wet and Trini can feel a damp spot on her shirt, not that it really causes her any discomfort. Both their phones went off during the whole debacle, likely- well, certainly- from the boys, but they can wait. Even though Kimberly isn’t latched onto Trini, their hands are still joined and occasionally Trini will squeeze so that Kim doesn’t get caught up again.

     “Thanks.” Kimberly’s voice is soft, her eyes are avoiding Trini’s own and embarrassment is clear in them. Not that she has anything to be embarrassed about, she’s seen Trini in the middle of panic attacks and nightmares. After everything they’ve been through, Trini thinks, all of us deserve to have moments of weakness. “Don’t you have Math?”

     “Don’t you have History?” It’s asked with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk, it was a stupid question. And an even worse attempt at a distraction. Trini won’t push though, and even if she won’t let Kimberly off without a slight ribbing, she will play along. “I was bored and the Ranger bond was acting up.”

     Not that she knew it at the time but some things should be kept to herself. Kimberly sniffles and that’s the only sound in the room for a few moments, neither one of them knows what to say or how to break the tension. They don’t have to. The screech that echos down the halls breaks it for them.

* * *

     It’s sharp, the screech, and while it makes Trini’s hair stand on edge it’s not as bad as what follows. She remembers the screams that came during their fight with Goldar, when the civilians were scrambling over dirt and broken road to get away from the putties chasing them. These are similar, enough so that her armor has already begun crawling across her and a glance towards Trini shows the same. The hallways are flooded, teenagers sprinting and pushing their way towards the exit. It’s utter chaos, people are tripping and she stops for a moment to help up someone whose fallen. Their eyes are panicked and Trini feels sympathy as she wordlessly directs them to the schools exit. Three tall armored figures approach and the Red one speaks.

     “Has anyone seen what’s attacking?” None of them are able to respond and, even if she can’t see him, Jason’s scowl is palpable. “Black, you and Blue cover the civilians. Yellow, with me. Pink, you’re on overwatch.”

     There are no arguments and the five of them quickly split into groups to follow their orders. Typically, Trini would be with Kimberly. She’d be helping keep stragglers away from the boys or from escaping, but with two of their front line fighters having to protect civilians she’s being forced to adapt.

     Their steps echo down the halls, the same way the screeches do. It’s difficult to tell exactly where the things are, how far or near, and it’s setting Trini on edge. More so than she already was. None of the students looked wounded, unless you count the terror they showed as mental damage, so maybe it isn’t anything odd? God, if she bursts into a classroom to be attacked by a rabid pigeon she’s going to be _pissed_.

     She thought it was a student at first. As the two Rangers came around the corner there it was. Back to them and hunched over slightly, it was croaking slightly- almost like it was crying- and then it turns. The face is birdlike, lips cracked with slight bleeding pull together to look like a beak; despite the oddities of the face, it’s familiar. She’s only seen it a couple times. On her family’s ofrenda.

     “Tía Camila…?” She sees movement, a flash of colour, and before she can fully stop him Jason is moving towards the- her great aunt. “Wait!”

     His sword swings towards her but the creature is already moving, a squawk of anger escaping it. The fact that it has the face of her, very much _dead_ , aunt is unsettling but after facing a giant golden warrior it’s just one more thing she’ll lock away with her nightmares. More are drawn by the cry of the one Jason’s fighting, three of them pour out of a nearby classroom and the last has blood dripping off of its claw-like hands. Trini chokes back bile as she charges towards them, trying to keep them away from Jason’s back. They aren’t fast, but the way they’re already moving before Trini even fully begins her moves ensures that they are able to evade her. The same is happening with Jason, but he’s at least quick enough to bring up his shield before the monster can rake its claws along his armored chest. It seems like they’re predicting the Rangers moves but they aren’t quite fast enough to break through their blocks.

     The numbers prove to be the true danger, because while Trini is able to block one or even two of the beasts, a third manages to sneak behind her and attack. She’s knocked to the ground, the metallic taste of blood fills her mouth as her vision darkens for a moment. And then she’s back on her feet, Jason’s hand unwrapping from her arm as he uses his shield to block yet another attack.

     They end up back to back, moving in sync. The first time she manages to land a blow on one of them she nearly falls over in shock, she hadn’t expected the blade to connect, she’s not even sure where she was swinging her dagger at this point, but the pained screech the thing gives as blood pours out of the cut. She’s quick. Jason is strong, Billy is smart, Zack has an aura that puts everyone at ease, and Kimberly is acrobatic, Trini’s gift from her coin is that she’s quicker than the other Rangers; that includes in thought, she thinks a mile a minute and while it usually leaves her overwhelmed it helps her make connections. Like now.

     “Red! They read thoughts! Don’t think about your moves.”

     “How do I do not _think_?”

     “Should be easy, jock.”

     The tease is light and the laugh from Jason comes tinged with exertion. It’s familiar, a way to keep the fear they feel from building; even if they aren’t as close as her and Kimberly, Trini considers Jason a friend. Fight together and die together, Trini thinks wryly, we are _Rangers_. Trini’s eyes burn, the blood dripping down into her eye blinds her but she can’t wipe it away without removing her helmet. The movements of battle have become second nature. The burn in her legs as she ducks behind yet another enemy warns her that she won’t last much longer. It’s fast, quick, and dirty. The blood on her daggers isn’t her own and she has to remind herself that what she’s fighting aren’t people. She has to stop herself from hesitating every time she sees her aunt, and she can feel Jason do the same behind her when his muscles tense before he swings his sword even harder. But these aren’t putties either. So, _what the hell are they?_

     It doesn’t take much longer to take care of the creatures, now that they understand how to take them down. Excusing a few mishaps, stopping one’s thoughts about fighting is _slightly_ more difficult than it sounds, it ends well. Until Trini spies the bloodstained claws once more, and the trail that leads out of the nearest classroom. Her steps are light but the slight click of her armor is loud in the silent hallway. Gore. There’s barely a body. Blood and organs, that should most definitely be _inside_ one’s body, covers the floor like a macabre varnish. Trini can vaguely feel the horror scrambling in the corner of her mind but the numbness spreading through her takes precedence. Jason. She turns on her heel and exits the room, pushing him back before he can enter.

     “You don’t want to do that.” He moves to protest but he stops, even with their faces covered Trini’s voice and body language is expressive enough that he stops. “Let’s go meet with the others. Check that they’ve got their job done.”  
They walk down the halls together, leaving the cooling bodies behind. Both human and monster.

* * *

     “Everyone, we need to confirm that the town is safe. I’ve sent my partner to preform a check, once he returns you may go home. In the meantime please remain calm.”

     Footsteps behind him alert Zack to the fact that Jason’s back, probably Trini too. If the girl wasn’t a Ranger she’d be a damn ghost, it’s freakin’ scary. But cool. The crowd mills around the parking lot, some casting anxious glances towards him- and the giant warhammer resting on the ground beside him- while others are taking pictures with their phones. A smirk crawls across his masked face and he poses, flexing and doing dances, and those watching laugh. The smile fades when he turns to his fellow Rangers. Their faces are covered, but Trini’s gait gives everything away. Even before becoming a Ranger, Zack was good with people.When things got really, _really_ , bad with his mom he did some…unsavoury things for more money. Scams and the like. Being able to read people was something you had to be good at, and he was _great_ at it. After he went spelunking (it’s a real word, he looked it up) the coins seemed to make him even better. Trini’s the easiest to read, she’s surprisingly expressive in her body language. Jason is difficult, he’s almost always tense so reading his mood is mostly based on just how far the stick is shoved up that day. That’s unfair, funny, but unfair. He’s stressed, normally. Right now? Both of the Rangers look like hell.

     “Hey, I’ve sent Blue to do recon. See if there are any more putties around town.”

     “…not putties” Trini’s voice is quiet but she seems to gather herself up under both Jason and Zack’s stares. “They weren’t putties. I don’t know what they were.”

     “Well, we’ll figure it out!” That’s not all, Trini’s shoulders are still slightly hunched and Jason’s hands are shaking. “…what’s wrong?”

     “A kid’s dead. We were too slow.”

     Oh. Well, shit. They need to get out of here. Don’t mistake Zack’s concern. He’s horrified by the death but his worry right now is for the team, the best way to avenge this kid and prevent it from happening is take care of the source. They can’t do that if they end up in jail. Or worse, in a bunker being poked by the government. Hopefully Billy returns soon, the sirens in the distance are growing louder by the minute. The police in this town suck. Then again, they aren’t exactly equipped to deal with this shit. The Rangers barely are.

     “A couple of kids are trying to ask me questions, what should we do?” Kimberly bounces up to them, bow slung across her shoulder in a way that looks extremely uncomfortable to Zack no matter how ‘cool’ it is. “I mean, Z wouldn’t be a fan of it but it would be good for the city to trust us.”

     And the point for being the most oblivious Ranger goes to…Kimmie! It’s a good question though, the whole idea of secrecy went out the window somewhere between the photo of Zack doing the floss and the video of him hitting himself with the hammer. It’d certainly make it more difficult for the government to ‘disappear’ them if the town loves them and they’re well known…And he does realize that he sounds like a conspiracy nut. Heh, it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get ya!

     “I think that would be advantageous for us.” Jesus fucking christ! A wild Billy appears! And scares the shit outta Zack. “It would be, well, it would depend on how we approach it. Black would be the best of us to approach any form of interview, he is undeniably better with people. Well, maybe Red, actually. He does have experience with public speaking and being in the spotlight. It’ll just come down to when it happens…” He trails off, lost in thought, before he visibly shakes himself back into the conversation. “The town is clear, no putties. I thought I caught a glance of something but I couldn’t find it. Did you guys get rid of them?”

     Jason nods, not bothering to explain that it wasn’t putties as he’ll probably do it when they make it back to base. The sirens grow louder and Jason looks at them before nodding decisively, apparently coming to a decision. He turns to the still watching crowd some distance from them and speaks in a voice strong but with quite a bit of worry laced within it.

     “The town is safe, you can go home. Until we are able to eliminate the threat entirely, do not go anywhere alone and listen to us if the we need you to do something.”

     Questions are shouted after them as they turn away but they’re easily ignored. Zack is worried, being a Ranger wasn’t something he willingly signed up for but it’s the best thing that happened to him. The danger that comes with it is something he’s willing to deal with, that doesn’t mean he’s not afraid of what exactly is going on. Jason’s back is ramrod straight but the stiff posture doesn’t manage to hide his still shaking hands. Trini is beside Zack, Kimberly next to her with an arm around her waist and while their whispers hold the same (sexual) tension as always, Zack can see the way Trini flinches at every wail of the siren. The way her eyes flick around, searching. His teammates are hurting, and he wants to know why. So that he can pound the things that did it into hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cookie to the person who can figure out what enemies I'm using, and a cake for the one who finds the myth I took a bit of the lore from for them. I don't own anything! Please leave a review if you enjoyed or a critique if you did not! Catch ya on the flipside :) (Come say hi to us at TheWisdomOfSpace on Tumblr!)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry this has taken so long! Things have been...yeah. I just want to say a special thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, or left kudos. You all keep me going (even if it seems like I'm gone for months). And a thank you to my Beta, and occasional co-author, Wis; you did a great job with Zack. I'll explain a bit at the end about why this is so late, you don't have to read it but I feel like I owe all of you an explanation.

     “Tengu?” Zack’s voice is disbelieving but there’s a level of caution that sets Trini on edge as he continues. “As in, Japanese Kami, Tengu?”

     Kami? The word is familiar, if only vaguely, and Trini recognizes it as a kind of demon(?) spirit. Which, okay, of all the things she’s fought in the past this has got to be the weirdest. Zordon’s face is blank- as always- but the small tilt to his head is surprisingly expressive for him.

     “Not quite. Tengu are a fairly advanced race, not quite on the level of humans, but they are known for their viciousness and abilities.” He pauses, looking between Trini and Jason, and god, she hates it when he singles them out. It’s never fun. “Did either of you…see anything odd?”

     Odd? If one considers seeing their quite dead Aunt as merely odd, then yes.

     “One of their faces, it looked like someone I knew.”

     “Someone dead.” Despite the phrasing, it sounds like a statement. Zordon obviously already knows the answer so Trini only nods in response, ignoring the glances she gets from her teammates. “One of their abilities, they take on the faces of those who have died to cause confusion among their enemies. They’re highly sought after as soldiers, and since they aren’t to a level of sentience most races consider ‘intelligent’ they are bought and sold on a market.”

     Her chest aches, both from the glancing blow of one of the Tengu’s claws but also from disgust. As much as she wants to pity them, they did kill someone. Though that’s as much her fault as theirs, she should have been faster. Despite the explanation, Zack’s face is still drawn in contemplation. Trini can almost see steam if she focuses.

     “They’ve been here before then, why?”

     “Perhaps they were seeking to find if earth would be a suitable planet for either conquering or creating a military outpost.”

     Ya know, Zordon could just say he doesn’t know. Its three words, there’s no need to be verbose. Of course, those words may not actually be in his vocabulary.

     The rest of the meeting is mostly stratagem, learning what they can about the Tengu, at least until Billy brings up a rather disturbing point.

    “Who are they working for?” The team looks at him, as does Zordon, and he elaborates. “I mean, you said that they’re mostly soldiers. Who would have brought them to Angel Grove? Moreover, why attack the high school instead of Krispy Kreme?”

     Unless this person knew their identities. Knew who they were, or at least their age, and wanted them in one place to either kill them or work out who they are. Either way, it’s a bad situation. And not one they’re prepared to deal with at the moment. Kimberly sums it up aptly, her voice sending vibrations through the top of Trini’s head as they had abandoned standing around and she, somehow, ended up wrapped around Trini. She isn’t quite sure how it happened, but Trini is sure that it involved a pouty look and a please. Some time around that her brain checked out.

     “Well, shit.” Shit, indeed. Could it be Rita? No, she’s gone. Right? She mentioned she wasn’t alone, and wasn’t Goldar just one of her minions? What if she comes back? They barely managed to beat her the first time, Billy died for fucks sake, and that was with her underestimating them. Trini has a feeling she won’t make the same mistake twice. A hand places itself over her own and Trini flinches slightly. Oh. Trini’s had been shaking. Kimberly doesn’t say anything, to Trini at least, and she appreciates her…fear seems too small a word but it works, she appreciates her fear not being advertised to the rest of the team. “Could it be Rita?”

     Billy pales slightly, as does the rest of the team, and it doesn’t quite fade even as Zordon shakes his head.

     “No, for all her issues she still holds some morals.” She threatened to kill Trini and _did_ kill Billy. She has the slightest feeling Zordon is overestimating her character. “She wouldn’t buy slaves. Nor could she control them from wherever she is. It is likely this is a new enemy.”

     A new enemy and, if what Zordon said is correct, one with fewer morals than Rita. This is just great. The room seems that much smaller and what was formerly a comforting touch from Kimberly now feels like a trap. Her throat aches and she can feel the inhumanly rough tongue scraping across her face. It’s too much. She scrambles out of Kim’s lap and stumbles from the room, only vaguely aware of the team calling after her, the echo of her memory growing louder by the second.

     The rocks are rough, biting into her skin and blood begins to coat them. She’s fallen. She gets up. Kim and Zack are in front of her, trying to reassure her.

     “It’s not Rita.” Are they sure? Because she can hear Rita in her ear, can feel the skin on her throat tearing beneath claws, can see Billy’s body devoid of life. “It’s not her.”

     It’s hard to tell what’s real, are the flashes of green in the corner of her eyes real? Is Rita standing behind her friends, laughter mocking, real? Are Kim and Zack’s hands on her real? She doesn’t know. The bitter laughter that wrenches itself from her throat aches.

     “Sure. It’s not her but so what? We weren’t prepared for her and we aren’t prepared for someone worse then her!” She gestures at herself, hand shaking and it feels like she’s watching herself almost. “I can barely stand the _thought_ of her and I know Billy is having nightmares too, we’re a mess! It’s- we’re just _kids_!” She can taste salt, for a moment her stomach drops, for a moment her heart stops. Until she realizes it’s her own tears. “we’re just kids.”

     “Not anymore.” Zack’s face is hard, there’s an edge to it she’s never seen. “We’re Rangers. Rita is terrifying, I know. I’m afraid that she’ll come back and decide to off my mother as part of her game,” He spits the word out, “but we can’t let the fear stop us. If we do, others will suffer. Think of your brothers. We’re all screwed up, we all have nightmares. But we have each other. Rita isn’t going to lay a damn finger on you again. But,” He pauses, breathing, and seems to calm slightly, “but, it’s okay to be afraid.”

     “Well, thanks, Zack. I’m so glad to know that I’m allowed to be scared.” Trini’s chest hurts, there’s a ragged sound coming from her as she breaths heavily and it hurts. “I can’t tell what’s real! I see her out of the corner of my eye, I hear her laughing at me, I never feel safe! So what if we’re Rangers!? All I’ve ever wanted is a normal life! Not-not this!”

     “ _SO DID I_!” Zack’s shout echos around the pit, drowning out Kimberly who’s been trying to get them to calm down. “But we don’t get what we want! Deal. With. It.”

     Her hand is moving before she realizes it. Zack’s head snaps back. He glares at her, baring bloodstained teeth, before his helmet forms. It’s sloppy, none of the form that Alpha and Jason have been drilling into them is used. They’re focused on causing each other pain. Trini’s lashing out, at Zack, at Rita. Their images meld, blending together, and Trini isn’t sure what’s real. And then Zack is halfway across the pit on the ground and Kim is in front of her. Yelling, Trini thinks, but the words aren’t processing. It’s just noise. It’s all too much noise.

* * *

 

     The bed is soft. It’s warm. But it isn’t safe. Trini’s sitting up before she’s fully awake, the memory and images of earlier flooding her mind. Rita, but not? Zack. Shit. What the fuck happened? She’s drawn from her thoughts as cloth rustles. Kimberly’s beside her bed, curled up in a chair in a position that looks horrifyingly uncomfortable, is that a leg or an arm? Either way, Trini doesn’t think it’s supposed to bend like that. But, onto what’s important, where is she? The room is clean and it shares the same sharp edges and colour that Trini’s come to associate with the ship but it isn’t a room she’s seen before. That doesn’t really count for much considering how big the ship is. Wait, how big _is_ the ship?

     “You’re awake!” The little whirring bot nearly makes her jump out of her skin. Alpha is nearly eye level as she’s lying flat on the bed and, frankly, it’s a tad unsettling. “You suffered a severe anxiety attack, followed by blunt force trauma to your torso and a contusion to your head. The worst of your injuries was to your chest, it looks as is one of the Tengu managed to hit you, you are very lucky. It broke three of your ribs and nearly punctured a lung. Zack suffered much of the same, excluding the hit to the chest. You have both been placed in the ship’s medical bay.” The clinical tone of voice falls away quickly, replaced by concern and no small amount of chiding. “ Why did you not mention you were in pain? It was likely worsened but the…disagreement you and Zack had.”

     ‘Disagreement’? Understatement of the century. Now that she’s more coherent, the guilt in her chest is almost worse than the fear and anxiety. Scratch that, it is worse. God, what the hell happened to her? And why does her head feel like cotton? She can always ask.

     “Uh,” oh, _wow_ , to say she sounds like death would probably be too much of a compliment. “What happened? And why is everything spinning?”

     “Oh! That is due to the pain medication, Billy helped me calibrate the machinery for you. It was set for the past Rangers but you are not the same species, luckily Billy has a grasp of human biology.” Alpha pauses. “As for what happened…I do not know the full story. Kimberly was the one who brought you in here, Zack is in the next room but he is being rather quiet.”

     Looks like she’ll have to wait for Kim to wake up, although waking her up right now would be a favour to her back. Every small movement on the bed hurts, no matter how soft it is, her chest especially. The pressure on it feels familiar, almost like the feeling she gets before a panic attack, and there’s no doubt it exacerbated her earlier one. Alpha leaves the room quietly, having said his piece. As the door closes, Trini wiggles around on the bed like a demented worm as she tries to pull her shirt up (thankfully it’s still the clothes she was in earlier but that in itself is sorta odd) and see her chest. Not her brightest idea as it hurts like a bitch and the revulsion that hits her as she sees her chest isn’t pleasant. Her chest is mottled purple, blue, and in a few places a tad red. It’s clearly in four long streaks, from the claws. Guess she wasn’t dodging as well as she believed, adrenaline may be a bitch when fighting but it’s a helluva pain reliever. How is she going to exp- Right. She lives at the ship now. When will she no longer reach to cover her ass from her parents, when will she stop panicking at the first sign of anything? Not anytime soon, that’s for sure.

    “Hey,” Kimberly’s awake. Or at least something resembling it as she blinks the sleep from her eyes and untangles the human pretzel she’d wriggled her way into. “You’re up. Good. We need to talk.” Well, that sounds awesome. Despite her best efforts, Trini can’t stop the way she stiffens- which, ow- and tries to make her face blank. Kimberly frowns at the movements, running her hand through her already tangled short hair. “Don’t worry, it’s nothin’ bad. Just…can you tell me what happened?”

     “I- it’s.”

     Trini starts and stops a couple times, huffing in frustration as the words she wants to use seem to escape her.

     “Hey, it’s okay. Just tell me what you’re comfortable with. But we do have to talk.”

     “I keep seeing her.” There’s no need to specify who the ‘her’ is. “Sometimes it’s just flashes. Other times I hear her. This one was the worst yet.” Trini moves to fiddle with the blanket that was draped across her before her movements pushed it down to her lap, she breathes heavily before continuing. “I couldn’t tell what was real.”

     It’s quiet. Painfully so, and Trini can’t look at Kimberly. It stretches. And then Kimberly blows out a breath, muttering,

     “Screw it.” Before Trini can ask what the bed has shifted as Kimberly carefully climbs into it and pulls Trini into a semi-tight hug. “I don’t really know what to say. I could tell you it’ll be alright but I can’t promise that; I can promise that the team is here for you. Jason and Billy would be here but they’re in Zack’s room right now.” Trini flinches slightly at the reminder and Kim groans. “Shit. I didn’t mean it like that. Both you and Zack lashed out but that doesn’t mean anything. You’re still friends, it was just a mistake.” They sit like that for a while, Trini lost to her thoughts and Kimberly mulling over her thoughts.

     “You should talk to someone.”

     “Really.” Trini’s voice is flat with a sharp edge of sarcasm to it. “Maybe I need help, okay. I don’t need to be committed, hug jackets are not my friend. And I’m not into the whole leather strap and chains stuff.”

     “Good to know. But I was more talking about Alpha, he may seem kinda…scatterbrained but he is an ancient alien robot. He may know a thing or two about PTSD.”

     She’d thought it, mostly sarcastically, but to hear it stated so plainly is like a smack in the face. PTSD is something soldiers have and she’s…not. But isn’t she? Look at what they’ve fought, what they’ve been training for. They were conscripted into a fight that’s not theirs. It fits that she gets the shitty side effects that come with it. Sure, it’s unfair and she’s raged about that. It doesn’t change anything. She needs to buck up, she needs to deal with it. And if talking to Alpha will help, she’ll do it. Getting a flashback or a panic attack in the middle of a fight could get her friends hurt and she’ll be damned if she lets that happen.

     “Okay.”

     It’s a short answer, there’s more to be said but for now the two girls are fine with letting it rest. At least until they have to go find the rest of the team. Right now, Trini is going to curl up in Kim’s arms and ignore all the responsibilities and questions crowding her brain.

* * *

 

     That lasts all of fifteen minutes. It seems that just because one wishes to ignore their own thoughts it doesn’t make it so, Trini only lasted that long because she didn’t want to disturb Kimberly. So now she’s hobbling along down the hallway with Kimberly hovering beside her. The boys are already in the Pit, including Zack, and Trini doesn’t miss the way Kim and Jason seem to share a look. After a few more moments of shuffling, Trini somehow ends up beside Zack with the rock wall to their back and the team in front.

     “What’s going to happen is you two—“ Jason gestures between Trini and Zack, who are pointedly ignoring each other— “are going to apologize and make up. Then we’re going to talk about what happened at the school and go from there. Understand?”

     He doesn’t wait for an answer and the three of them turn around, still blocking Trini- and Zack’s- way to leave but also giving them some shred of privacy. It’s quiet….Still quiet….

     “I’m sorry.”

     “I’m sorry.”

     Both of them blurt it out, not looking at the other at first but the unintentionally mirroring has them staring at each other. Trini sighs and her fingers twist a small strand from a hole in her pants around her finger to the point it almost hurts.

     “I shouldn’t have hit you, it was my fault.”

     “No, I was an ass who goaded you into a punching me.”

     “Yet I still hit you first. And I shoulda considered how this whole thing made you feel.”

     “Yeah, but I-“

     “Stop.” Kimberly has turned around and is scowling at the two of them. “Are you two seriously arguing about your argument?” Zack looks at Trini with a grin and it removes some of the tension in her chest that still remained. “Don’t answer that.”

     The team relaxes, the impromptu blockade breaking apart as they sit on the rocks. Although Jason is still pacing, his brow furrowed as he tries to stare the ground into submission- which, may seem absurd but Trini wouldn’t put it past him to succeed. Finally, he turns to the group.

     “Candice Jones, straight A student, captain of the debate team, and a friend of Billy’s.” His gaze is as hard as his voice, but there’s a fragility to it that worries the team. “They killed her. Thankfully, the students are defending us from any accusations of wrongdoing on social media but some people are still wondering, rightfully so, what the hell is going on. Billy,” He gestures at said Ranger, “Has been monitoring social media and has created joint and individual accounts for all of us. I…I am not sure what exactly we should share or talk about on them, Zack?”

     “Didn’t you do interviews?”

     “Scripted ones.”

     “Eh, fair enough. So!” Zack claps his hands together as he jumps to his feet. “First things first, we need to put the populace at ease. Let’s release a statement on all platforms expressing our deepest condolences for the Jones’ family and the panic this may have caused, maybe a small explanation of what’s happening? And then we should do a little QnA session, the more people know about us the less afraid they’ll be.”

     “Alpha has made it so our phones, sorry Trini, I grabbed yours from your pocket, so that we can post and do stuff that can’t be traced. But we can only do it in the ship for now, he’s working on making a sim card we can use anywhere.” Billy pulls out her phone and hands it to her, she hadn’t even noticed it was missing. “You have a few missed calls from an anonymous number, I called back and got a woman that sounded like Mrs. Gomez so I hung up.”

     That’s great. Her parents are going to blow hundreds on sim cards at this rate. Zack claps her on the shoulder, a wide- slightly maniacal- grin on his face.

     “Let’s get started. Cue the montage!”

_ThePowerRangers_  
 _@GoGoRangers_  
Hello, this is the team that was at Angel Grove High school earlier today (Check the link if you don’t believe us) and we were the ones fighting earlier in the year. We would like to extend the Jones family our deepest condolences for their loss, Candice was a brilliant young woman who will be missed. We all know that words can seem empty, however, and so we promise that those who committed the atrocity have been taken care of and the people behind them will soon follow. Please, contact us if there is anything we can do to help.

_Void_Cowboy_  
 _@TheVoid_  
Is this for real?”

_SmolGay_  
 _@MoreEspressoLessDepresso_  
I think so, check the link! _@GoGoRangers_ who are you???

_ThePowerRangers_  
 _@GoGoRangers_  
We are Power Rangers. If you would like to ask us questions, please head over to _@TheDarkKnight_ for the Q and A.

  
  
_TheBlackRanger_  
 _@TheDarkKnight_  
Helloooo world! I’ve convinced my team leader ( _@RedRover_ ) to join the modern age of social media. Ask us questions and we will answer (maybe ;)

_SmolGay_  
 _@MoreEspressoLessDepresso_  
What are you guys? Vigilantes?   
  
  
_TheBlackRanger_  
 _@TheDarkKnight_  
_@MoreEspressoLessDepresso_ Love the name, we have a Smol Gay on the team. But no, we are not vigilantes. We are…well, if we told you, you’d say we’re crazy. We’ll give it a bit of time before we answer that question.  
  
_Void_Cowboy_  
 _@TheVoid_  
Aliens. They’re aliens, or demons. Maybe Demon Aliens?

_WeGotLot’sOfRain_  
 _@WelcomeToTheGrove_  
So, no identities. Gender? Race? Any languages besides English you speak?  
  
_TheBlackRanger_  
 _@TheDarkKnight_  
_@WelcomeToTheGrove_ Black, Blue, and Red are dudes. Yellow and Pink are dudettes. Race is kinda giveaway for who we are, sorry. But we do speak multiple languages! Red and Yellow speak Spanish, Blue speaks Spanish, Mandarin, and Klingon. Pink speaks Hindi and Tamil. I, Black, speak Cantonese and Mandarin. Oh, and Blue is asking if Computer languages count cause he knows….all of them? (He started listing them and I lost count at four).

_LosinIt_  
 _@Lost it_  
_@TheDarkKnight_ Thats a lot of languages…Can we get an age range for y’all? I mean, Black was doing the floss and other stuff so I’m assuming you guys are teenagers. Political views? Religion?

  
_TheBlackRanger_  
 _@TheDarkKnight_  
_@Lost it_ We are all above 16 but below 23. Political views? Nah. Religion? Some of us grew up in a family that practiced religion but we’re all agnostic.   
  
_TheBlackRanger_  
 _@TheDarkKnight_  
_@Lost it_ Sorry, everyone but Yellow is agnostic. Yellow is an atheist.

_TryingMyBardest_  
 _@LutesAndFlutes_  
_@TheDarkKnight_ Is there anything about your preferences we can know?  
  
_TheBlueRanger_  
 _@TheBlueRanger_  
@LutesAndFlutes Yellow and Pink like heavy metal music, while Pink also likes indie music. Black enjoys classical, Red enjoys anything, and I enjoy country.  
  
_TheYellowRanger_  
 _@SaberCat_  
_@TheBlueRanger @LutesAndFlutes_ Blue, I think they were asking about sexual preferences. Can’t speak for the others but I am the small gay that Black mentioned.

_TheBlackRanger_  
 _@TheDarkKnight_  
_@LutesAndFlutes_ I’m pan, not a pan but pansexual.

  _TheRedRanger_  
 _@RedRover_  
_@LutesAndFlutes_ I would prefer not to share, sorry.  
  
_TheBlueRanger_  
 _@TheBlueRanger_  
 _@LutesAndFlutes_ Oh! I’m asexual but, I believe the term is, Biromantic?

_ThePinkRanger_  
 _@CupidWithStabbyArrows_  
_@LutesAndFlutes @TheBlueRanger_ ayyyyy Bi solidarity!

_ThePowerRangers_  
 _@GoGoRangers_  
Sorry to cut this short but we do have a training schedule to keep! We’ll leave you with this lovely video of Black trying to scare Yellow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. My grandmother, as I mentioned in an earlier chapter, was ill. I did donate part of my liver and while that helped for a little while, her kidneys and other organs are now failing. Hospice has been called and my grandfather is trying to get stuff around. With us back in China it's been difficult to help out so between that and school I've had zero free time along with zero motivation. Again, I'd like to thank every reader as you guys are a big help in keeping me motivated to write.


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